big news

Emma Jane has big news....




Yes, she is going to be a big sister! We are thrilled to announce that I am 12 weeks pregnant. We are ecstatic to share this wonderful news with family and friends. This baby is a gift from God and we are so grateful. Today's ultrasound measured Baby Street at 12 weeks, 4 days. We saw the most precious profile, two cute little arms (seemingly waving at us!) and two adorable little legs (crossed at the ankles). The baby's heartbeat is strong at 164 bpm. We are so blessed!

rhythm & blooms

The Riverbanks Botanical Gardens is hosting musical groups every Thursday night this month for their Rhythm & Blooms series. Since we have a little dancer on our hands, we knew we couldn't miss it. Emma Jane met her friends Kaitlyn and Lily there and they had a ball! Emma Jane and Lily had fun pouring water into each other's cups (mostly spilling it, but it was a fun experiment!). The girls were mesmerized by the band and danced their little hearts out. Emma Jane tried to "escape" several times and Paul had to round her up. We had such a good time and look forward to going again next week.

happy mama's day

I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day this year. Emma Jane made me a very special card and then she and Paul took me to the capitol grounds for a picnic. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed every moment. Since Emma Jane calls me "mama" we taught her to say, "Happy Mama's Day!" and indeed, it was!

a visit from grandma & grandpa

Emma Jane had a ton of fun with her Grandma Jane and Grandpa Bill this past weekend. During their visit, we took them to the zoo and to the Riverfront Park. We also spent time in the yard playing in the sprinkler and with Emma Jane's new rides! Grandma and Grandpa brought her a Disney princess bike and a used Barbie Jeep that Grandpa fixed up just for her. You can imagine Emma Jane's surprise when she realized that just a touch of the gas pedal makes the Jeep GO GO! We had lots of fun with our special guests and hated to see them go.

graduation day

We are happy to announce that Paul has officially graduated! It was a big day for all of us. Of course, Bill and Jane came in town to attend the big event. The ceremony was held at the Koger Center in downtown Columbia. We sat in the upper balcony at the end of an aisle since we knew Emma Jane would probably get restless. We were right! She actually did pretty well in her seat for the first hour since we had plenty of snacks for her to enjoy. After the snacks ran out, we took turns taking her out of the auditorium to climb the steps and run around. She did manage to stay put until her daddy walked across the stage. She got really excited when she heard her mama's name called out. Several students had Renee as their middle name and at one point she shouted out, "Weenaa!!" over and over. Paul told us later that he could hear her all the way across the auditorium!

Later that night we went out to dinner to celebrate. We don't go out to dinner much these days, so this was a real treat for us! We are so proud of Paul and all that he has accomplished. As Emma Jane has learned to say, "Congwats, Daddy!"

happy gra-da-day-tion

On Friday, Paul graduates with a Masters in nurse anesthesia from USC! We are also proud to announce that he received the award for the most outstanding nurse anesthesia student in his class. We are so proud of him! Emma Jane has been practicing saying "Happy Graduation!" but that's a tough one. It comes out "Happy Gra-da-day-tion!"

tire swings and soccer balls

We enjoyed more park time today. Sara and Lily invited us to picnic in their neighborhood park. After a quick lunch (the girls were much more interested in playing), Emma Jane and Lily were off to explore. Emma Jane had lots of fun throwing rocks, climbing the wooden fort, and swinging in her first tire swing with Lily. She also chased a couple of older boys who were kicking around a soccer ball. They were very careful around her and she even got the ball from them a few times! It's always so much fun to see what our little munchkin is going to do next!

daddy make mess!

Emma Jane has been putting her words together to make her own sentences these past few weeks. It's fun to hear what she has to say. Today Paul was in the playroom with her when I heard her shout, "Oh no! Daddy make mess!" Of course, I had to go see what Paul had done to cause such a protest. He had dumped out the puzzle pieces on one of her puzzles and she did not like that at all! We got her to say it again in the video I have posted here, but there's nothing like the first time your child says something cute.