Emma's 4th Birthday

Emma turned four this past month and she is already talking about turning five soon.  She assured me that she would still love snuggling with me when she is five, so not to worry.  Here she is coming down the stairs on her birthday morning.

Will was able to take the morning off from work, so Emma was able to open her presents as soon as she got downstairs.

As a four year old, she can now chew gum like her big sister.  We bought Emma four packs of gum, and they were all gone in two days.  She chain chewed that gum like it was going out of style!

Emma chose a cider mill breakfast for her birthday, and was in luck that they had opened for a special spring pressing.  We brought cooked sausage from home to add protein to the breakfast so that no one experienced crankiness from a drop in blood sugar.  We took a walk after breakfast on the hiking trail by the cider mill.

When we got home, Emma hopped on her new birthday bike called a Ziggle.  You drive it with your hands instead of pedaling with your feet and she LOVES it.

For lunch we had mac and cheese, another Emma pick, and then headed to the girls yoga class while Will headed to work.  For dinner we took a walk to our favorite local sub shop.  It started raining on the  walk but we were prepared with umbrellas.

When we got home, we enjoyed a double chocolate cake after singing Happy Birthday to Emma.

 Emma loved how fancy I decorated her cake.  I got a little carried away with the decorations, but then remembered that with Emma, less is definitely not more - more is more!  It was the perfect cake for Emma.

 Before bed, we read the Day Emma was Born book, and the stories that Emma got for her birthday.

Finally, we measured Emma on the family growth stick.  Amazingly, she is exactly the same height Lucy was on her fourth birthday!

Emma, you are our sweet, sensitive and thoughtful middle daughter.  I love how thoughtful you are, and how you know just what to do to cheer up the ones you love when they are sad.  You always make sure that your mama isn't left behind, and your laugh is contagious.  You are helping me become a more patient person with your consistent ability to lose your socks, shoes, crayons, scissors, jacket, etc. but when I am patient, the sweet "Thank you, mama" as you bat your long dark eyelashes at me are so worth it.  You remind me of a butterfly, as you flit around, never still for very long, and bring such beauty to my life.  Happy birthday sweet Emma, we love you!