Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Emma. Happy birthday to you! Emma was singing this almost every day after our trip to Great Grandma's. Actually, most of the time she would sing about someone else. Aunt Susan, Sleepy Joe, Baby Doll, Daddy- all favorite birthday people.
On Tuesday of the week before Emma's birthday, Aunt Karen Anna showed up for the rest of her fall break. We had a fun few days of making preparations and playing with Emma. Friday night (October 16th) Emma opened up her presents from Aunt Susan- a beautiful brown flowered dress and a pink "birthday girl" shirt. After Emma was already asleep, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Mark, Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren showed up at the house. We all had some cupcake and cookie snacks before heading off to bed. Grandma and Grandpa stayed at the Country Inn and Suites, but Uncle Mark, Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren stayed with us. Aunt Susan joined Aunt Karen Anna in the back room for a night of couch sleeping while Mark crashed on the front room couch. It was quite the flop house!
Saturday morning we were all up bright and early. Aunt Susan whipped up some Puffins (pancakes made in a mini-cupcake pan) that were scrumptious. It was obvious that Emma was soaking up the extra attention; she knew that they were all there just for her. Emma opened up a present from Grandma and Grandpa- a nappy wrappy for baby doll (so Emma and Baby Doll can both wear diapers).
Emma had fun playing and hanging out with the family while everyone pitched in to decorate and make the food. We had streamers and balloons artfully hung by Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren. Some of the early birthday cards were hung on the walls. The pin-the-candle-on-the-cupcake game was hung on the family room wall. Aunt Karen Anna cut out the Jello "gigglers" that she had created the day before. These things were awesome! 6 Jello flavors and colors made into a 12 layer giggler creation and then cut into hearts and stars. She even filled two champagne flutes with the layers. Aunt Susan, Aunt KA and I decorated the cupcake layer cake. Just look at the picture for a description. They were so delicious!
Around 3 pm Aunt Darcy, Uncle Steve, Madison and Jared showed up, followed closely by our neighbors, Tom and Karen. Aunts Susan and KA churned out delicious cheese and nut twists for snacking while mingling. Emma got to ride on Madison's old bike (that was brought up here just for her), which was one highlight. She also had fun running around with Madison and Jared and reading stories with anyone who would read to her! Madison, Jared, and Emma had fun taking turns playing the cupcake game, although Emma insisted on playing without the blindfold step. They all played for about 15 minutes and laughed whenever some one's candle was upside down (like mine!). Yes, they "made" me play, too. It was fun!
At about 4 pm we gathered everyone around for present time. There were so many! Lots of books and clothes. A Bryn Mawr sweatshirt from Aunt Karen Anna. A fluttery shirt from G-Bugga. Daisy Gets Dressed from Tom and Karen. Bath time baby (from Aunt D and family) was an instant hit. It distracted Emma so much from the other wrapped gifts that Uncle Steve had to take it out of the room to take her out of the box. He delayed the process until the end of the "opening ceremony." (hee hee) Uncle Mark made Emma a xylophone out of wood that is absolutely gorgeous. Aunt Lauren and Uncle Paul gave her a carved pumpkin with a card for a savings bond stuffed inside. Grandma and Grandpa gave Emma a home-made fleece purple bag with a whole slew of art supplies tucked inside along with Harold and the Purple Crayon. Mommy and Daddy gave Emma a tea set, letter blocks, and Carl's Birthday. She really had quite the haul. Once she was all done, she went straight for the tea set and bath time baby.
After presents we had a feast (that Aunts KA and Susan had been busy with during the opening ceremony) of mac and cheese, gigglers, twists of three veggies, lasagna rolls (made the night before), and cheese and nut twists. Then it was cupcake time! Aunt Darcy let Emma stick her finger in one just for fun. Then we sang the Happy Birthday song, and I think Emma sang along. :) Emma got the top cupcake and everyone else grabbed the flavor that sounded best. (There was white and chocolate swirl and red and white swirl. (The triple swirls were left overs and enjoyed throughout the weekend!) We didn't notice until Sunday morning that we forgot to serve Babcock ice cream with them!
After that we all hung out and watched Emma play with her new toys. She knew right what to do with the tea set! She poured tea and passed out cup fulls the whole evening long. "Grandma drink tea." or "Aunt Darcy drink tea." I think everyone had tea that night!
Sunday morning we had waffle sundaes after sleeping in until about 7 am. Grandma and Grandpa came by earlier to find the house dark; they came back after Steve called them. That's Emma for you! She sleeps in when you expect her to wake up early and vice versa. Emma continued to love the attention of the family! Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren read some of the new stories to her when Emma and Grandma weren't having a tea party. There were pulled pork sandwiches for lunch with cupcakes for dessert. After lunch some of the family went to the Arboretum while the rest of us stayed home while Emma napped.. Emma had to say goodbye to Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren when they came back so that was sad. The birthday weekend was winding down.
On Monday we had happy birthday cinnamon twists that Aunt Susan had made and frozen earlier in the week. They were delicious! Then Aunt Susan and Uncle Mark caught the bus to campus where Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy and Emma met them later in the morning. We did a driving/walking tour of the parts of campus that Aunt Susan sees on a daily basis. Near Goodnight Hall we walked beneath the fall oak trees to the walking/biking path that runs right along the lake. Emma sat on Uncle Mark's shoulders for a better view. Then we headed off to Babcock Hall to pick up lunch.
While we waited for our sandwich orders to be fixed, Uncle Mark shared his ice cream cone with Emma. Before leaving we headed upstairs to the viewing deck to watch ice cream being made. Emma really seemed to like watching them hose down the floors on one side and watching the machines fill the tubs with ice cream on the other.
Back at home Steve was waiting for us. We enjoyed our sandos, cupcakes and ice cream, and then Emma got to open another present from Mommy and Daddy. It was a play kitchen! Emma checked out the small pieces (wooden knives, forks and carrots) before heading up for a nap. She also had to say goodbye to Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Mark. As if she understood what would happen, she asked for Grandma and Grandpa to both read her stories and tuck her in. When she awoke she predictably asked for the missing guests and then supplied her own answer. "Grandma and Grandpa on plane." The kitchen was waiting for her downstairs and she dove right in. I think it made the empty house a little easier to bear. She focused on cutting the carrot in half with the knife until she could do it quickly and completely on her own. (The carrot is held together with Velcro tabs, leaving a space barely wide enough for the wooden knife.) It is pretty cool!
So now Emma enters her third year as a healthy two year old. On the 20th, we went to the doctor for her 2 year appointment. She was too shy to talk at all with the doctor. He had to take my word for it that she has exceptional language skills. :) She weighed in at 34.4 pounds and was measured to be 38 inches tall. That's the 95%tile for both categories, folks! Everything is A-Okay! She received the regular flu shot and the second of her hepatitis A shots. She cried and said that they hurt, but she got over it pretty quickly. What a trooper!
On Tuesday of the week before Emma's birthday, Aunt Karen Anna showed up for the rest of her fall break. We had a fun few days of making preparations and playing with Emma. Friday night (October 16th) Emma opened up her presents from Aunt Susan- a beautiful brown flowered dress and a pink "birthday girl" shirt. After Emma was already asleep, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Mark, Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren showed up at the house. We all had some cupcake and cookie snacks before heading off to bed. Grandma and Grandpa stayed at the Country Inn and Suites, but Uncle Mark, Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren stayed with us. Aunt Susan joined Aunt Karen Anna in the back room for a night of couch sleeping while Mark crashed on the front room couch. It was quite the flop house!
Saturday morning we were all up bright and early. Aunt Susan whipped up some Puffins (pancakes made in a mini-cupcake pan) that were scrumptious. It was obvious that Emma was soaking up the extra attention; she knew that they were all there just for her. Emma opened up a present from Grandma and Grandpa- a nappy wrappy for baby doll (so Emma and Baby Doll can both wear diapers).
Emma had fun playing and hanging out with the family while everyone pitched in to decorate and make the food. We had streamers and balloons artfully hung by Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren. Some of the early birthday cards were hung on the walls. The pin-the-candle-on-the-cupcake game was hung on the family room wall. Aunt Karen Anna cut out the Jello "gigglers" that she had created the day before. These things were awesome! 6 Jello flavors and colors made into a 12 layer giggler creation and then cut into hearts and stars. She even filled two champagne flutes with the layers. Aunt Susan, Aunt KA and I decorated the cupcake layer cake. Just look at the picture for a description. They were so delicious!
Around 3 pm Aunt Darcy, Uncle Steve, Madison and Jared showed up, followed closely by our neighbors, Tom and Karen. Aunts Susan and KA churned out delicious cheese and nut twists for snacking while mingling. Emma got to ride on Madison's old bike (that was brought up here just for her), which was one highlight. She also had fun running around with Madison and Jared and reading stories with anyone who would read to her! Madison, Jared, and Emma had fun taking turns playing the cupcake game, although Emma insisted on playing without the blindfold step. They all played for about 15 minutes and laughed whenever some one's candle was upside down (like mine!). Yes, they "made" me play, too. It was fun!
At about 4 pm we gathered everyone around for present time. There were so many! Lots of books and clothes. A Bryn Mawr sweatshirt from Aunt Karen Anna. A fluttery shirt from G-Bugga. Daisy Gets Dressed from Tom and Karen. Bath time baby (from Aunt D and family) was an instant hit. It distracted Emma so much from the other wrapped gifts that Uncle Steve had to take it out of the room to take her out of the box. He delayed the process until the end of the "opening ceremony." (hee hee) Uncle Mark made Emma a xylophone out of wood that is absolutely gorgeous. Aunt Lauren and Uncle Paul gave her a carved pumpkin with a card for a savings bond stuffed inside. Grandma and Grandpa gave Emma a home-made fleece purple bag with a whole slew of art supplies tucked inside along with Harold and the Purple Crayon. Mommy and Daddy gave Emma a tea set, letter blocks, and Carl's Birthday. She really had quite the haul. Once she was all done, she went straight for the tea set and bath time baby.
After presents we had a feast (that Aunts KA and Susan had been busy with during the opening ceremony) of mac and cheese, gigglers, twists of three veggies, lasagna rolls (made the night before), and cheese and nut twists. Then it was cupcake time! Aunt Darcy let Emma stick her finger in one just for fun. Then we sang the Happy Birthday song, and I think Emma sang along. :) Emma got the top cupcake and everyone else grabbed the flavor that sounded best. (There was white and chocolate swirl and red and white swirl. (The triple swirls were left overs and enjoyed throughout the weekend!) We didn't notice until Sunday morning that we forgot to serve Babcock ice cream with them!
After that we all hung out and watched Emma play with her new toys. She knew right what to do with the tea set! She poured tea and passed out cup fulls the whole evening long. "Grandma drink tea." or "Aunt Darcy drink tea." I think everyone had tea that night!
Sunday morning we had waffle sundaes after sleeping in until about 7 am. Grandma and Grandpa came by earlier to find the house dark; they came back after Steve called them. That's Emma for you! She sleeps in when you expect her to wake up early and vice versa. Emma continued to love the attention of the family! Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren read some of the new stories to her when Emma and Grandma weren't having a tea party. There were pulled pork sandwiches for lunch with cupcakes for dessert. After lunch some of the family went to the Arboretum while the rest of us stayed home while Emma napped.. Emma had to say goodbye to Uncle Paul and Aunt Lauren when they came back so that was sad. The birthday weekend was winding down.
On Monday we had happy birthday cinnamon twists that Aunt Susan had made and frozen earlier in the week. They were delicious! Then Aunt Susan and Uncle Mark caught the bus to campus where Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy and Emma met them later in the morning. We did a driving/walking tour of the parts of campus that Aunt Susan sees on a daily basis. Near Goodnight Hall we walked beneath the fall oak trees to the walking/biking path that runs right along the lake. Emma sat on Uncle Mark's shoulders for a better view. Then we headed off to Babcock Hall to pick up lunch.
While we waited for our sandwich orders to be fixed, Uncle Mark shared his ice cream cone with Emma. Before leaving we headed upstairs to the viewing deck to watch ice cream being made. Emma really seemed to like watching them hose down the floors on one side and watching the machines fill the tubs with ice cream on the other.
Back at home Steve was waiting for us. We enjoyed our sandos, cupcakes and ice cream, and then Emma got to open another present from Mommy and Daddy. It was a play kitchen! Emma checked out the small pieces (wooden knives, forks and carrots) before heading up for a nap. She also had to say goodbye to Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Mark. As if she understood what would happen, she asked for Grandma and Grandpa to both read her stories and tuck her in. When she awoke she predictably asked for the missing guests and then supplied her own answer. "Grandma and Grandpa on plane." The kitchen was waiting for her downstairs and she dove right in. I think it made the empty house a little easier to bear. She focused on cutting the carrot in half with the knife until she could do it quickly and completely on her own. (The carrot is held together with Velcro tabs, leaving a space barely wide enough for the wooden knife.) It is pretty cool!
So now Emma enters her third year as a healthy two year old. On the 20th, we went to the doctor for her 2 year appointment. She was too shy to talk at all with the doctor. He had to take my word for it that she has exceptional language skills. :) She weighed in at 34.4 pounds and was measured to be 38 inches tall. That's the 95%tile for both categories, folks! Everything is A-Okay! She received the regular flu shot and the second of her hepatitis A shots. She cried and said that they hurt, but she got over it pretty quickly. What a trooper!
