Happy Birthday Emeline!!!

17 cent blow thingys were worth every penny.












Today was baby girl's birthday!!! She turned 2. I can't believe that two years have gone by already since I had her. She was such a tiny, tiny baby (6 lbs something--I can't be expected to remember these things), when they cut open my belly to pull her forth into the world. She was SO LOUD, and screamed the ENTIRE time Dr. Swift was stitching me up. Of course, at the time I thought that was wonderful of her--it allowed me to keep tabs on her even though she was in a different room. And due to the miracles of modern medicine (placenta previa was a death sentence for babies and moms not so very long ago), here she is at two--still my scrawniest and loudest child, but so very, very loved.







These pictures are seriously out of order--but they are all from today. I lament that it is so hard to change the order of the pictures in the actual post.

In these first two pictures, Emeline is opening her stick horse, which was the hit of the night. I wouldn't have thought to buy my kids stick horses, but Grandma Beckie gave Miriam and Cowen each one for Christmas a few years ago and they are still among the most-played-with toys. My kids LOVE their horses. Lately, Emeline had been riding around on the other kids' horses, so we thought it was time she got one of her own.






One excited little girl.












The caterpillar cake. I don't think it is one of my best, but Timothy and the kids thought it was great. I had other things on my mind during the icing process. Life's like that.

















Um, Emeline liked her cake.


















First she had to get used to it.












I took a bunch of pictures of her earlier today to get a good picture of the clip in her hair. It is one of the hair accessories Becky sent me after seeing the unfortunate haircut. I LOVE it!! I'm still deciding between this one and a round/ribbony one for her official birthday pictures. Soon, I'll be posting a picture of the green brooch on brown velvet ribbon. It is so absolutely perfect for Emeline. Lindsay Ann tried to steal it, but I wouldn't let her!










I tried to get a good picture of it, but I'm not much of a photographer.














Emeline didn't really grasp the "rip the paper" concept. We had to help. This present is a Melissa and Doug band in a box. We had a lot of fun tonight being a "marching band." Well--everyone else marched around while I sat on the couch and clapped. You always need an audience.






Just thought this was a funny picture.
























Mr. Caterpillar. I think I'm giving up on purple for cakes. I can never get a good bright/kid purple.









Name: Emeline Beckie Young (Brigham Young had a daughter with the same name, spelled the same-but Emeline is actually named after Emmeline B. Wells and her grandma Beckie)

Name meaning: No clue--we stopped looking those up after Miriam (which means bitter)

Age: 2 years

Nicknames: Emelinagans

Fav activities: reading books, jumping on the poof from the couch, anything involving her daddy, singing, being chased by Cowen

Favorite foods: bread, cheese, dad's casserole

Least fav foods: not an option (although she is my pickiest eater so far--mostly that she tries what looks best to her and won't touch anything else on her plate. She is getting better.)

Favorite songs: "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," and "Hinges."

Favorite toys: her glowworm, her stuffed white tiger, her doll

Favorite book: No, David!, If You're Happy and You Know It, all the DK baby genius books because they have lots of "yallow"

Favorite item of clothing: can't think of anything, but she LOVES her blanket, which she calls her "baby."

What makes her happy: anything involving her daddy, playing with the family, getting in the van (doesn't matter where we're going, she's just glad she's going too)

What makes her sad: when Mom says "no!"

Fav color: yellow

What mom loves most about her: her big smile, the way she pouts when she doesn't get what she wants and then when she realizes it isn't working her pout starts to crinkle in the corners and pretty soon she's grinning, how excited she is to find her socks and shoes, how much she loves to jump on the poof, how she says "poof," how excited she is to see me every morning, everything!