Emma Meets Santa

My dearest darling Girl.....What a joy to witness some of your "firsts". You are growing so quickly and learning so many new skills. Very soon you will be walking and running in every direction except your Diva's arms.

It is really hard for your Poppa and Diva to live so far away from you and your parents. It saddens us to know we will be missing your first birthday soon.

I love watching you crawl. You made my heart smile whenever you smile. You remind me of another little girl.....your sweet momma.

Your Poppa and I miss you so much. Thank you for your recent trip to Virginia. We enjoyed having you for your first American Thanksgiving and for my birthday.


Know that your are dearly loved and cherished.......Me miss you!

Look how you have grown!

Dearest Emma Bug,

What a difference a few months can make. Look at you sitting up all by yourself so independent and so clever. You know that your Diva loves your little overalls too (they remind me of another little grrrl ....you sweet Mommy.)

Of course both your Poppy and I become big piles of goo whenever we see your sweet smiles and your face light up whenever you see us. We are so happy to be able to spend 10 whole days with you and your parents. I promise to spoil you and give you lots of kisses. We'll sing songs, read books, and tickle you too.

We love you so much, and what fun we will have! Hope you are all rested up because we want to squeeze a lot of Emma time in while we are here.....We have lots of memories to create in a short time so don't be surprised if we hug you a little longer and take more pictures of you than necessary. Just indulge us.....we're first time grandparents and don't know any better.

Love you sooooo much,
Diva

Making Monday Memories...with Emma

Making Monday Memories.....

How do create an instant love affair? Here's our recipe.

Take one part baby,
One part longing grandparents

Mix in time, distance and desire.

Add financial difficulties and personal injury.

Slowly let it simmer for 4 months.

Add in passports, international travel, and a" 5 minute meltdown 10,000 feet in the air".

Sprinkle with jet lag, a very tired Mommy and Daddy, lots of luggage and baby items and present it wiggling and cooing to an appreciative audience.

Then stand back and listen for the "ohs and awes" and rave reviews.

Well, at least it happened that way with us.

Miss Emma is everything we every hoped for and then some. Yesterday we got to babysit for about 4 hours and found her to be delightful, entertaining, full of energy and yes....we found out our baby has a temper too!

Girlfriend absolutely adores "Poppy" (but then, so do I). Mr. Wonderful was so funny and delightful. When he held her and walked with her on his shoulder she snuggled really close and both of them were caught up in an invisible dance of adoration.

He would smile over at me and say, "Am I doing this right?" I would smile back and say, " Do you hear any complaints from her?" Emma is very generous with her smiles and girlfriend loves to make sweet baby noises. If she takes after her Momma and Diva she will be talking up a blue streak by the time she's a year old.

We are totally smitten by our first grandchild. Everything she does is delightful. Mr. Wonderful laughs at her smiles and coos and is instantly transported back to the time when we were first time parents. He has all the right moves now and much more confidence in his "baby reading" skills. It seems to me he walks a little taller and is much more observant to her every gesture.

Watching people play with babies is now one of my favorite past times when not actively engaged in the game myself. Life is amazing, looking at this incredible gift from God we can only imagine what she will see and experience in her lifetime. Today I am content just to lavish love and affection on Miss Emma and "steal kisses".

Labels: Monday memories

Diva meets Darling

Dearest Emma.....At last we have you in our arms . We were so excited to see you and your very tired parents at the Richmond Airport at 11p.m. It had been a hard day for all of you and I was so afraid you would take one look at me and start screaming for your Momma.

I wouldn't have blamed you and I had already made up a number of excuses to explain away your behavior but to my great surprise and delight you let me hold you. You seemed to think Diva's wheel chair made a great rolling stroller . You rewarded us with some toothless grins and we were totally captured and captivated by you.

I was surprised at how blond your hair is, your pictures make you look like a redhead. I love your azure blue eyes and your smile that could light up a city block. You are such a big girl. I adore your little chubby cheeks and your giggles could make a statue smile.

You have a definite personality already. We found you to be enchanting as well as equipped with a fine set of lungs and definite likes and dislikes. Watching you jump in your jolly jumper has become one of my greatest joys and holding you in my arms is the best medicine ever.

Watching you sleep, is like a whispered prayer. I've been waiting for you all my life and just didn't know it. Watching you grow and experience new things this next three weeks will be so much fun for us. I know you will not remember this visit but your Poppa and I will never forget the "first time we saw your face!"

All my love my darling Emma girl!
Diva

Countdown to the Divine Miss Em!

Dear Emma Bug,

Every time I think I have found my new favorite picture of you, your mama and daddy take even cuter pictures. Trying to find a favorite is almost impossible "cause you get better looking each day!" How is that possible?

The tickets are purchased and you all will soon be flying to Virginia into our waiting arms. Do you know how hard it is for your Diva to wait? Almost impossible!

Your Auntie Suzy and Uncles are already getting excited to see you too. We have so many new experiences for you and it will be much fun to see you do so many "firsts".

Poppa and I laughed and laughed at your first "music video". Who knew you would be such a good dancer in your jolly jumper. You Go Grrrl! We definitely were delighted at "our bouncing baby grrrl".

We are counting the days till we can pick you up from the airport and then "Let the spoiling begin!" Know we love you so very much and consider you a gift from God.

Get plenty of rest girlfriend....you will need it for this wild and crazy side of the family.

All my love,

Diva

My Easter Emma.....

Dearest Emma Bug,

Look at you Girlfriend. You are getting so big and now have the biggest smiles for your Momma and Daddy. Your Poppa and Diva look forward to seeing new pictures of you each week as you are growing and changing so rapidly.

This will be your very first Easter. Easter is such a special time!
It is a time of new life.....everywhere we look in our country home there are new babies. You will like the baby lambs, calvess, baby goats and even new kitties that live under our shed.

The flowers are starting to bloom and the dull, brown scenery is starting to turn green and spots of colorful flowers are starting to pop up every where. Your Poppa and Diva are already starting to dream of our summer garden with lots of fresh vegetables and yes lots of Daisies too!

We are working on an Easter box of you and your parents. Yesterday your Poppa and I were able to go to our favorite place (The Green Valley Book Fair) and bought all kind of wonderful books for you and your momma.

The one I liked best for you is called What I Like About You by Colleen Ludington. It has wonderful pictures and perfectly describes you. I liked these lines from the book.

"You're a gift sent to me from God up above,
Perfectly , delightfully created in love.

When I am with you and when we're apart,
You're always here with me- right here in my heart.

You have a purpose no one else can fulfill;
No one can replace you-no one ever will.

We are so excited about seeing you sweet face soon. Hope you feel better soon. It has been an eventful month for you with your first immunizations and first cold.

Know we pray for you every day and can hardly wait to hold you in our arms.

Your Diva

My Little Red Hair Grrrl....

Dearest Emma Bug,

Oh my goodness, look at you Miss Thing! All dolled up with the bluest of eyes and is that red hair I see? What a precious, dear, sweet face! How I long to hold you, kiss you and pamper you and your parents. I think for now that this is my favorite picture of you.

Your Auntie Suzy and I have an exclusive club for the Blue Eyed Girls in our family. Since we were the only two we were the only members. We are thrilled to see your bonnie blue eyes (inherited from your daddy I'm sure!) We may have to have a special ceremony to welcome you into our club.

I think we are slowly making plans to come see you and bring all of you back with us for a visit. Your Uncle Andy, Uncle Tim and Auntie Suzy will be so excited to see you in person. We may have to draw numbers to see who gets to hold you first!

I'm waiting on my first smile from you. Hope it comes quickly once I have you in my arms. Your poppa is already talking about taking you to all of his favorite places. He is just as eager to show you off too.

Sleep well little one. You are growing and changing day by day. Such a talented girl. We love your videos. You can tell your Diva all the secrets you've been keeping.

We love you Emma Bug.
Diva

Sharing Secrets......

Dearest Emma-Bug,

Your sweet momma just sent me this picture of you and Eh? already sharing secrets! I love it! I'm sure he will never tell any of your secrets no matter how much honey I offer him.

I love your outfit too. Auntie Suzy loves shopping for her little niece and I think she did a really good job.

You are growing up so quickly and changing week by week.

We are so anxious to see you in person.

Miss you more than we ever thought possible. Let your mom get some sleep( she's a lot more fun when she's rested. )


Know you are loved, cherished and prayed for every moment of every day.......Your Diva

Happy Valentine's Day Baby!

Dearest Emma Bug....

Look at you Miss Thing! You are growing way too fast for me. Yesterday was your very first Valentine's Day....the first of many. I went on my very own Valentine hunt to find you the most perfect "First Valentine" Days card and gift. Sure wish we could have been there to watch you explore your gifts.

I saw your video that your mom and dad made of you accidentally turning over! I was so impressed! Now tell me darling, has your Daddy been teaching you Kung Fu already? (It's ok, just whisper it to me, I won't tell!)

Today is your Poppa's birthday and I bet I know what he wished for......to be able to hold you in his arms and to talk to you. For his birthday his big sister sent him his favorite pie and a book he loved as a little boy. It is called "Scuppers the Sailor Dog" and he already has plans to read it to you.

Tell Momma not to eat pizza for a while as it upsets your stomach. Oh, I see you've already told her and your Daddy!

Sleep well, my darling girl.

Hugs and Prayers coming your way.

Your Diva

Happy Birthday Becky and Emma

Thursday Thirteen..About Becky

Thirteen Things about Becky that I hope her daughter inherits!

1.Today is our daughter Becky's birthday. This is her first birthday as a new mom. As a first time Diva and lover of Fairy Tales these are the gifts I would bestow on her that you possess yourself.

2.The first thing I see and is still true about you is that your smile lights up your face and electrifies the whole room. I am reminded of this comment.....Sitting in a cafe this afternoon, a random cute bearded old man walked by and said: "I hope the baby has your smile." I hope so too!

3. I hope Emma inherits your love of book and a hunger and thirst for knowledge. I laugh knowing full well her nursery theme is golden books and she already has wonderful posters on her walls of great children's book. I wouldn't be surprised to see her cutting her first teeth on a cardboard book.

4. I pray that Emma will always feel loved, cherished and protected. I love this picture of you kissing your sweet Emma's head while she is sleeping peacefully. I pray that she will always feel safe and secure in your loving arms.

5. I pray that Emma inherits your sense of adventure. I never hear the Dixie Chicks song "Wide Open Spaces" that I don't think of you. I hope she is as fearless as you my darling "Warrior Princess"


6. I hope she inherits your beautiful head of hair.....it took you a long time to grow hair and were pretty much a cue ball as a baby.. She already has a pretty good start in that department.

7. I hope she has your sense of humor (that you inherited from your dad). I hope she can look at a "Far Side" Cartoon and laugh hilariously.

8. I pray that she will react as strongly as you do at injustice, and cruelty and will be an agent for change in her generation.

9. I hope she has an active imagination and always has some creative outlet for it, whether it's making up stories, drawing, or building with Legos.

10. I pray that she will be a leader and an independent thinker just like you.

11. I pray that she will be physically active and enjoy participating in sports. Can you see Emma as a young soccer referee?


12. I pray that she will always keep the lines of communication open with you even if you don't agree with what she is doing. I always loved that you didn't shut us out of your life.

13. I pray that you can give her Wings and Roots. Happy Birthday Becky.

A little pillow talk?

Dearest Emma Bug,

I saw this picture of you and your darling daddy and my heart just melted. Here you are less than two weeks old and you've already captured your Daddy's heart.

What secrets are you sharing? Are you telling him all about your marvelous Mommy? It looks like you are getting your point across by the goofy grin on his adoring face.

You go girlfriend! Did you know that babies are God's way of growing parents? I'm seeing them change and mellow every day too. What a good influence you are having on both of them. Babies tend to smooth off the rough edges on us.

Know you are a blessing and are blessed. Poppa and Diva pray for you everyday and long to see you and hold you close.

Your Diva

Who is Cuter? You or your Daddy?

Look at you Miss Thing! My darling little Bug!

All decked out in your soft red blanket sleeper that your Diva picked out for you. I love your hat too. I so fell in love with this little sleeper when your mommy and I were shopping for your arrival.

Your Diva adores snowmen and this little sleeper is definitely got winter scenes and snowmen. Your Poppa says I have a thing for fat white men and he is so glad, cause he is one!

Your Momma and Daddy got you all dolled up for your first "public" outing. I'm sure you were the queen of the mall already. Hope the Paparazzi weren't overwhelming.


My arms ache to hold you.

Your Diva

Waving Emma!

Look at you waving to your Diva!

Hello Gorgeous! How's my Emma Bug this morning.

Your poppa and I are having so much fun looking at your pictures and watching you grow and change so rapidly.

Your momma tells us all kinds of stories about you and I've heard you hiccup on the phone. Even that sounded cute.

Can you tell I'm helplessly in love with you?

Woo Hoo....Look at you!

Look at you Miss Thing,

This is the first picture I've seen of your hands, arms, legs and feet. Woo Hoo, what a good looking baby you are!

Love the hat and booties too.

It's amazing how wide awake you are and how sleepy your parents look. I hope you are breaking them in gently they are old you know.

I heard you got to meet your grandma and grandpa Peters tonight. I'm sure they fell in love with you instantly too.

You seem to have that effect on everyone.

Sleep well little one......your momma needs some rest too.

First pictures.....

Dearest Emma,

Did you know that your Diva believes in love at first sight? No, silly girl, I'm not talking about your Poppa (even though he is very cute!)

The first time I experienced love at first sight was when I first saw your momma. All new and perfect straight from God. I fell head over heels in love with her.

I was so worried when I was pregnant with your Auntie Suzy. How would I ever love another child as much as I loved your mommy? But you know I fell in love at first sight with her too, and with your Uncle Andy. It's amazing how such a tiny person can expand your heart instantly.

I was in love with you when we first heard you were on the way. Your mommy was on the phone with us when we first saw your pictures and guess what? Diva and Poppa are instantly in love with our little Emma. I love this particular picture as it looks like you and your mom are sharing secrets already.

You are so fresh and new that you probably haven't discovered what an amazing mom you have. I suspect you already have many of her characteristics and it will be so much fun to watch you change and grow.

Do you like your house and your room?

Know you are loved, cherished and so welcomed into our hearts and our lives.

Your Diva

Hello my Baby, Hello my Sweety.....

Hello, my precious baby girl! My Emma Bug!

Your Poppa and Diva keep checking our email every hour looking for your first photos. We are so thrilled that you are finally here and we can see you, hold you, and whisper sweet nothings in your little tiny ear. If I were there in person you would have such chapped cheeks from all your Diva kisses.

Knowing your momma, I'm sure she already has kissed every inch of your sweet face and even your tiny toes ( which your mom says you like to kick out from under the blankets). I'm sure your daddy has held you in his strong arms and marveled at his part in helping God create such a perfect little person.

Your Poppa found this little baby bee at "the mission mall" yesterday for you. Diva is being selfish and keeping it for herself to remind me of my Emma Bug.

Do you like your name? I think it's beautiful and just perfect you.
Emma
The healer of the universe.

What a strong name. I can already imagine you bringing people together.

Missing you soooooo much!

Your Diva

Is it Today?

Dearest Baby Bug......Is today your birthday? It just might be! Your momma has been feeling contractions all day yesterday and her doctor thinks that today my be the day that you arrive.

We are so excited at the "Big Unveiling".

Just wanted you to know that you are all "prayed up" and that we already love and adore you.

Be good to your mom......it would be nice if you decided if you decided to pop in and say hello!

Rest up my angel....exciting times are coming! Diva

Got ya covered......my baby bug!

13 ways to be a Fantastic a Granny Diva

1. Always carry lots of pictures. Don't wait until the baby is born, start with the ultra sound images and go all the way through graduation.
2. Listen intently to other people talk about their grandchild. This is not as easy as it sounds.
3. Select a proper grandma name that 1) you like, 2) the child can pronounce and 3) will not be embarrassing when it is shouted loudly in the grocery store.
4. Ask God to bless your grandchildren and pray for them every day.
5. When your grandchild is fussy or behaves poorly, always have a good excuse.
6. My favorite excuse is "The poor little doll is just so tired. And you would be too if you had been hauled around all day. Another good excuse is" "The poor little angel is cutting teeth!" These two are good but you need a good spare or two for really tough times.
7. You will want to have special nicknames for them as they grow, but continue to call them by their name. We all like to hear the sound of our own names.
8. When something gets broken at your house, remind yourself and your grandchild that people are more important than things.
9. Get a bigger purse-a small suitcase will do also-so that you can always pull out a new toy, candy or distraction of some kind at just the right moment.
10. Think back on your own grandmothers and try now to realize just how much they loved you. At the time you had no idea of their deep love because it is unexplainable. You must experience it for yourself.
11. Have Grandma Camp one week every summer. Plan cookouts, crafts, sports, and all the things kids love. For the following week schedule a massage, plenty of bed rest, and post a sign that the kitchen is closed until further notice.
12. Never miss a chance to tell them you love them. The days are short and years pass quickly. What a better way for them to remember you than, "She always told me how much she loved me."
13. Give a "Grandmother Shower" for your friends who are new to the club. Bring baby things for the the new grandmother to keep at her house.

Close up and personal!

Dear Baby Bug.....Yep, it's your grandparents. I included the picture as you probably remember us talking to you while you were still in your mommy's tummy.

Just wanted you to know we are thinking about you and are so excited that your arrival is soon. I know you are warm and snug and are growing stronger and longer every day.

Always know that you are a much loved child and prayed for every day. Be blessed. Diva and Papa

Farewell for now.....

Derest Baby Bug,

It was so hard to leave you and your parents. Diva and Poppa are back in the Daisy Patch now with tickets to come see you or bring you and your parents to come see us.

On our way home we had the opportunity to delay our flight for 2 free round trip tickets anywhere that Northwest flies. You should have seen your Poppa jump at the opportunity to see you for free. We truly believe that it was a provision from the Lord as we certainly had no idea how we would be able to save up the money for another trip any time soon. Not only did we get free tickets but we also got free dinner, breakfast and they put us up for the night at a very nice hotel.

It was truly a wonderful gift and we are very excited about seeing you soon.

We are tired from our travels and missing you and your sweet momma and dashing daddy.

We were happy to help set up your room. What a lucky baby to have such a wonderful place to grow and play. You already have a library of exciting books that will take you as far as your imagination can carry you. Your Poppa is already eying the Big Book of Trucks to read to you. He likes to make truck noises that will make you giggle.

Sleep well, and let your Momma get some rest too.

Missing you muchly,

Your Diva