4 Years

4 years ago, I was preparing for one of the most monumental moments of my life. I was in the hospital, hooked up to a fetal monitor, blood pressure cuff, IV, and an epidural. And I was trying to push a baby out. Emma Rose joined our family at 12:59 AM on her due date. She weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and was 20" long.

4 years ago, I was officially inducted into motherhood. I had a sweet, cuddly little baby girl. A little girl to love, nourish, teach, and be responsible for.

That tiny 6 lbs 11 oz baby is now 4 years old.

I think I'm going to cry. Has it really been 4 years?

I have a 4 year old. I have a 4 year old. I have a 4 year old!

And she's still tiny...for her age, at least. Most 4 year olds can't fit into 2T clothing...mine can. Granted, they're a bit short on her, but she can technically fit into them.

But she's 4! We've had 4 wonderful years, full of hugs, kisses, and cuddles. 4 years of hilarious Emma-isms, occasional tantrums, and girliness. We've seen her become a big sister twice; watching her love her little brothers is one of my absolute favorite things in the world. She is so sweet with them and such a great helper.

She loves all things girly: princesses, dolls, babies, fairies, clothing, jewelry, make up, bows, nail polish, and more. Her favorites include Tangled, Hello Kitty, and Tinker Bell. She loves every single Disney princess movie.

But she's pretty well-rounded; she likes the "boy" movies and toys as well. She also loves to color, paint, and draw. She's very artistic and creative.

She continually amazes us by how smart she is. We constantly hear her using big words we didn't realize she knew! She can also read a few words (her name, her brothers' names, and a few easy words like cat) and is learning some basic addition and other math skills. I'm sure she knows more than I realize she does.

She makes so many connections and she has an amazing memory. She remembers things that happened over a year ago - even things John and I don't remember in full detail.

She says some of the funniest things! She cracks us up all the time. She's absolutely hilarious. She can be such a goofball.

She loves to sing. She knows the words to sooo many songs: Primary, VeggieTales, Disney, and more.

She's grown and changed so much over these 4 years. And yet, she's still that sweet baby girl I gave birth to 4 years ago:


Now:


And a cute video of Emma blowing out her candles at her Tangled birthday party:

For the record, see that shirt? She wore it for her birthday last year. It's a 2T. Seriously.

She is such an incredible little girl. I am so grateful to have her in my life. It's an honor to be her mother. Happy 4th birthday, Emma Rose!