After seeing all of the hoop-la about Adam's birthday just two weeks before, Emma was more than ready for her turn to be "da birt-day giwl!" She woke up with a twinkle in her eye that stayed with her all day long- it was a fantastic day to have a birthday!
Emma decided she wanted a Tinkerbell/Princess/Palace Pets birthday party, and it turned out great! She had a few sweet friends over for crown decorating, pin the tail on Pumpkin (Cinderella's pet dog) a princess treasure hunt, an all-pink princess lunch and some very sparkly pink cupcakes.
Emma did a wonderful job of kindly including all of her friends in her celebration and fun, and I was especially proud of her for thanking each of them by name as she opened their gifts. She even traded her new scepter for a friend's broken one and made it through the treasure hunt without tears, despite not getting to find all of the clues herself.
It was a stark contrast to see her "run" the show at her party in comparison to Adam just a few weeks earlier. Granted, it was boiling hot and there were twice as many kids at Adam's party, but he was more of a quiet observer. Emma, on the other hand, thrived in the spotlight, chatting with her girlfriends over lunch and she was especially thrilled when it was time for presents, calling out, "Who wants to give me a present?!!"
After all the party excitement it was very much time for a nap, so my sweet birthday girl took a three hour rest. She doesn't always need a nap, but when she does, she takes one with all her might!
Emma picked Chick-fil-a for her birthday dinner, because they have chocolate milk! She was all smiles as we ate and played, then headed home for a few more presents and fun before bedtime.
The kids got to end the night in a very unusual way- by watching a movie in my bed while I had a meeting downstairs. It wasn't ideal in my eyes, but Emma loved it and that's all that matters. To her it was a treat!
Jason had to go out of town on Emma's birthday, so we had started the day off with a family breakfast together before he was off. Emma didn't want Daddy to miss out on her birthday cake, so we wrapped it up in foil and put it in the freezer to enjoy when we all got back from our trip to Indiana. Emma definitely loves her daddy.
And we love Emma! Her birthday came at just the right time, when I needed a dedicated chance to fill her up with extra love and attention. She is growing up to be such a sweet little lady. She is always eager to spend one-on-one time with Mommy or Daddy, and she definitely puts up a good fight to find her place amongst her siblings. She refuses to be left out, and tries her hardest to keep up with her big sister (a feeling I know all about, as a little sister myself). Just this morning she happily followed Leah around and proclaimed, "You're my best friend, Le-lah!" And it's true. She loves Leah and wants so much to be accepted by her, which she usually is, but is heartbroken when she isn't.
Emma's not afraid of doing big or scary things- she is brave and is always up for a new challenge.
She's excited about starting two day preschool in the fall. And she is one tough cookie. She knew that she would be getting shots at her well child visit the day after her birthday, and she told everyone she wasn't going to cry. She was startled by the shots, and I knew she wanted to cry, but she didn't. She held it in and sat in my lap and said, "That really hurt", but she didn't cry. It was an amazing thing to watch, especially as her big brother and sister were sitting in the room (at her request, for moral support) and were kind of freaking out on her behalf. But Emma was the tough one.
The bribe of a Topped donut helped a bit, too.
Emma is just like her mama. Heaven help me. She knows how to be kind and loving, but she also knows exactly how to push people's buttons. She is very aware of her ability to get what she wants with a "flutter and a flash" of her eyelashes and smile, or she can pout and hold a grudge with the best of them. She is a picky little eater, but she always has room in her tummy for M&Ms. She's the middle child to a 'T'. I understand her completely, and I hope she'll continue to let me in as she gets older.
Emma has recently discovered the joy of coloring and drawing and creating art. I often find her like this-
She is so spunky and full of personality. Sometimes she hardly seems like a little girl anymore- she's just one of the kids at the table with funny things to say and nice comments to share. She's always thinking about her grandmas and their dogs and her cousins and and nice things that people have done for her and ways that she can cheer people up. She wanted to write a letter to Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer this morning so she could tell him that she thinks his nose is cute, not weird. 
She's always making us laugh. Emma does not like mint flavor. One day she found a mint-looking perler bead creation and used it as a weapon, "Stay back or I'll mint you!"
And Emma Grace is beautiful! She has the cutest sprinkling of freckles across her nose, her bright blue eyes often solicit comments from others, and somehow her hair always looks fabulous!
Happy birthday sweet Emma Grace! You took us by surprise the day you were born (before we even got to the hospital!) and you've kept us on our toes ever since. You are a delightful little lady, full of fireworks and excitement and love. You keep your brothers laughing and crying. You are Leah's best friend (even if she doesn't admit it often). And you are always a delight when you peek around the corner after we've tucked you in the for the night for just one more hug.
We love you, little SuperGirl!
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