Emma's Last Month as a One Year Old!

Emma is proudly wearing big girl undies now!  Potty training was not on our agenda this past month, but the stars aligned and as fate had it my car was in the shop for several days leaving me home bound with a daughter who kept taking her diaper off.  Three days later my car was fixed and Emma was well on her way to being potty trained.  That's not to say we don't have accidents still, but she understands the concept and is more upset than anyone else if she doesn't make it to the potty in time.

The above picture was taken early on in the learning process when it was still a novelty to Lucy to have company in the bathroom.  Now the toilet is just one more thing for them to fight over.  Emma has her own schedule and will go potty when and where she wants to.  If I need her to go before naps, bedtime, or before we leave the house I have resorted to bribery.  If she puts poop in the potty she gets two M&M's.  She gets to play with my phone as long as she stays on the potty.  Here Emma is below playing on my phone.  She has discovered how to take self portraits.

Emma's laid back, easy-going nature seems to have been replaced by a girl who knows what she wants.  We have reached a new level of fit-throwing, which includes screaming, kicking, rolling around on the ground and even at times, turning blue from lack of breathing.  We now know to blow in her face to make her catch her breath and calm her down a bit, but for the most part we steer clear of her until the storm passes.  Things that usually set her off are stunting her independence by offering assistance without asking her and anything to do with Will.  Yup, poor Will has been the fuel for many a fit-fire this past month and it is getting a little old being the only parent allowed to help her without inducing a fit - especially in the middle of the night and for all the many potty-times.

Will has been making a point to spend special time with Emma, and we are hoping by her second birthday this phase will be past and she will be a Daddy's Girl like Lucy.

Maybe Emma has learned how to get what she wants by observing her big sister.  Lucy is still the queen of fits at our house.  Here is Emma below, plugging her ears as Lucy exerts herself in the background.

Emma enjoys doing everything her big sister does, including playing dress-up, dolls, Duplos, arts and crafts, watching Dora, Clifford and Elmo on TV, and playing with Lucy's friends.  Here Emma is below hanging with the big kids.

Emma likes things just so.  If you do something once, you will have to do it the exact same way each and every time after.  She would wear the same outfit everyday if she could.  Her favorite is what she calls her "butterfly dress" followed in second place by her "frosty the snowman dress."  When riding in the car she has to have her sunglasses on and her magna doodle in hand whether it is sunny or dark out.

Some of my favorite things that Emma has said this past month include:
-when asked a yes or no question, Emma will respond with, "O-tay, sure!"
-when asked if she needs help, she says, "I got it!"
-when she is playing with her dolls, she will tell me, "Mama, Polly loves you!  Mama, Twin Babies love you!"
-when Lucy does something kind to Emma, Emma will say, "Awwwww, Sissie."
-when Emma tries a new food and doesn't like it she shouts, "Too Spicy!!!"

It's hard to believe our Emma is almost two!  She is the perfect blend of sweet, cuddly, independent, adventurous, loving and silly and we love her!