Sissy Goo turns 1

The Party

The Birth

(Some of these pictures are a little trippy to me, because Ember looks so much like Reagan did then.)

Ember's first birthday totally snuck up on me this year. Despite a busy weekend and lack of much time to plan, we still managed to celebrate accordingly last Sunday on her actual birthday. If subsequent children's birthday parties keep following suit, by the 9th or 10th child, I'll probably just throw a cupcake to them in the back seat of the car and call it good. Just kidding, we are not having 10 kids. I still might throw a cupcake at them though, just because it sounds kind of fun. Ember (we'll call her Sissy, I never call her Ember) is just the sweetest little baby I could have ever asked for. She and Reagan could not be more different, but they each play such a dynamic role in the way that our family "is." Sissy is such a quiet and sensitive little girl, and she makes me feel so loved. If there is one word that embodies what this girl is all about, it is "love." Love and tenderness just permeate from her. She looks at me and I melt. She is an observer and a deep thinker. Now, her deep thinking may be about food, but when she looks at or watches something, you can almost see the wheels turning in her round little bulb-head. Yes, she inherited the big ol' Pratt forehead, and I just love it (although, it almost certainly means a lifetime of the age-old question and one that I have struggled with myself, "bangs or no bangs?") She looks so much like my dad to me, only a much prettier version - no offense, dad, you're still pretty. She's got the squinty Pratt eyes to go along with it. My most favorite thing about my Sissy Goo is that she is such a good cuddler. Reagan stopped wanting to cuddle with me much when she became mobile (although she wants to now, which I like), but Ember gives me hugs and kisses about every five minutes, complete with her own sound effects - "aaaaaaw." This also means that she MUST be in the same room as me at all times, which has its own problems, but we won't get into that. =) I love her so much - she is the kind of child that really makes me realize on a day-to-day basis why I have kids and why I want more. I look at her and there is no doubt that this beautiful little girl came to me for a reason. She has helped me to learn to slow down, and reminds me constantly how much Heavenly Father must love me. I am so grateful for this little soul in our home. We all love her so much - I love that she needs me and thinks that I am just about the greatest thing that ever existed. Jason loves that she will grab his face and give him kisses and cuddles. Reagan loves having a little friend that just adores her and laughs at everything she does. She came into this world peacefully and continues to create a safe, peaceful feeling in our home. Happy Birthday, Sis.