Emerson Asher entered this world less than a fortnight before the new millennium, or as most of us remember it, Y2K. There were constant mumblings that there would be universal chaos , the global economic infrastructure would collapse, and that possibly the entire world would go dark at midnight on January 1, 2000. Some apocalyptic wishful thinkers even speculated the end of the world. Committees were formed and people were scrambling to prepare themselves for what was to come. It wasn't until the safe passing of the main event itself, January 1, 2000, that public fears were fully quelled and our hope in the stability of the world was reinforced. My hope for peace and light in the world was reinforced 13 days earlier, on December 18th, 1999. A new being has a way of doing that.
Prior to Emmy's birth, I, too infrequently, experienced several paradigm refining moments in which my ambitions and intentions were all inclusively decontaminated by the reminder than I am part of something much bigger than myself...something that knows I am capable of giving more. I usually received this cathartic purification on the trail of a solitary hike, during an inspiring conversation, or while reading a soul-evolutary passage in a book. These moments resulted in wide awake late nights not poisoned by the typical guilt and fear, but by the eager anticipation of starting the next day a new and better person.
There is something about Emmy that invokes this feeling on a regular basis. Even as a baby, people would identify something wise and peaceful in her nature. Just being near her makes me want to be a better person.
Admittedly, I still have days when my desire to hide from the world overtakes my ambition to help make it a livable and lovable place for my children...when I am brimming with pessimism and question my reckless behavior in bringing these children into this troubled world. But it is more often that I recognize that it is my children that have truly brought me into the world they see.....a world full of hope, mercy, potential and simple wishes
So on this day, I wish to celebrate Emmy with my traditional birthday list of facts:
1.I had a crazy Bolivian doula for Emmy's natural birth. She made me color a birthing ball and got mad when I wasn't coloring with enough enthusiasm.
2. We were moved onto a separate floor in the hospital because of all the millennium babies being born (we promise, we were not birthing a child at this time for all the prizes)
3. Corey had finished his finals and his mother had flown into town the same moments I started labor. What a convenient baby...other than the middle of the night stop and go labor.
4. weighed exactly 8 pounds
5. We had her name picked when I was pregnant, but didn't know I was pregnant.
6. Slept for 20 hours a day...as opposed to Savanna's crying 20 hours a day
7. Landed a paying modeling job for Cracker Barrel at 6 months.
8. Was a lady bug for her first Halloween
9. Let Savanna poke and prod her all she wanted
10. Started walking at 10 months
1 year
11. Got 4 shots and a fever on her first birthday. What was I thinking?
12. Emmy fell asleep in her food all the time
13. Was the messiest eater ever
14. Has dreams about eating and grabs at the air
15. Her nickname is Boofus
16. Emmy loved to dress up. She must have been completely saturated, because now she hates to wear even a skirt or jeans.....prefers sweat pants every day.
17. The word "danny" was used in every situation that requires any emotion. If she is scared, she says, "DANNY" and if she is excited she says ,"DANNY" It is a word we heard a lot of. In fact, we started saying it as well.
18. moved from St. Louis to Spokane
19. won't go to sleep unless I am holding her hand
20. let's Savanna talk her into making huge messes
2 years
21. Becomes pathologically attached to a water balloon
22. Was a rabbit for her 2nd Halloween
23. Will eat a whole can of black beans for breakfast
24. Loves beans, cheese, mango, rice, meatloaf, pizza, artichokes, popcorn and carrots
25. Does not like potatoes, orange juice, cereal, asparagus
26. She is hungry all the time
27. Particularly loves her Dad, Uncles, and Grandpas
28. added a crayon to the Soup while I was making dinner because she wanted it to be pink
29. falls off picnic table benches constantly
30. used to love to sing and dance...but now she hates it
3 yrs old
30. Received a thorough haircut from Savanna during dinner. All she had to say about it was, "my dinner is ruined." We turned it into a darling pixie cut and so she...
31.was Tinkerbell for her 3rd Halloween
32. Had a popcorn kernel stuck in her nose for 6 weeks
33. took ice skating lessons
34. loves to climb trees
35. I used an explicative when I burned my hand while making dinner. Emmy asked "Is that the Spanish word for BURN?"
36. looks for fairies wherever we go
37. Went through a huge Peter Pan phase and was obsessed with pixie dust
38. Goes to Disney land
39. asks if she will be "Emmy Incorporated" after she gets married
40. Prays for the fairies to be safe
4 years
41. Wonders, "Do Barbies speak Chinese because they were make in China?"
42. Exclaims sadly, "I don't like Ansel because he is too breakable"
43. Says on her 4th birthday, "Remember that I am the birthday girl and I rule the day?"
44. Trips on the sidewalk and breaks her arm
45. Tasted her first alcoholic beverage at 4 yrs old (unintentionally, of course)
46. Went Trick-or-Treating with some neighbor girls a month BEFORE Halloween and came home with plenty of candy.
47. called 911 for no reason
48. Has hyper mobility (the real term for being double jointed)
49. Asked me one day, "Mom, do you feel empty inside?"
50. Will always let the other person win
Kindergarten
50. Emmy has a lot of headaches this year and has an MRI
51. took a climbing class and became a real spider monkey
52. played on a soccer team and never won a game...but had a lot of fun
53. drew a million fairies
54. took a ballet class and hated it
55. saved all of her allowance for hungry children
56. was an angel for her 5th Halloween
57. went to speech therapy and finished in record time
s58. Emmy started skiing this year and picked it up without hesitation
59. Emmy is very fidgety. I wonder where she got this from?
60. loves squishy things
1st grade
61. was a dragon for her 6th Halloween
62. drew a million bees in 1st grade and made a few into stories
63. Emmy is very adventurous and will try anything new.
64. She fails to recognize her "dizzy" limits and has thrown up on several occasions.
65. Emmy loves to Run and MOVE
66. Set her Pogo sticking record at 2000 in a row
67. She Also loves to Read Quietly for hours
68. Wrote this poem that received school-wide recognition
68. Wrote this poem that received school-wide recognition
Dark liquid
Hardly looks like water
Full Of unknown creatures
What forgotten treasures lay down there?
The sand dances with the tide
To the shore
Revealing the secrets of the shells
Beneath the sea
69. Made a book of poetry
70. She jump ropes in the house and the neighbor is annoyed
71. Emmy hates to get in trouble
72. Emmy is always the first one asleep and the first one awake
73. Likes me to create 'Harry Potter teams up with Shaggy and Scooby' stories to pass the time while hiking
74. Will cross any downed log....no matter how high or dangerous
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2nd grade
75. was a fairy for her 7th Halloween
76. she HATES putting anything in her hair
77. Had a pet jelly fish for a week
78. She does not like to be called Emerson....maybe someday.
79. She gets some pretty brutal spontaneous bloody noses
80. Has true empathy and puts other's happiness before her own
81. had a pet goldfish for one day
82. wants to be where Savanna is almost all the time....I'm hoping this lasts through the teen-aged years.
83. Says she wants to be a teacher
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3rd grade
84. was a black cat for her 8th Halloween
85. She is very organized and takes care of her things...always has the cleanest room.
86. She NEEDS her stuffed bunny to fall asleep and watch scary movies
87. She takes school very seriously
88. Learned to cross-stitch and makes her own patterns
89. Doesn't love to talk to adults or talk on the phone
90. She is VERY picky about her shirts. The collars have to be just right and no itchy TAGS
I love you, Emmy
Mom
6 comments:
sweet! happy birthday!
Happy Birthday Emmy!! I wish you like to be called Emerson, I love that name and called you that when I held you in the hospital when you were less than one hour old!
Love you, Grandma J.
I had forgotten about the falling asleep while eating thing. I can now recall multiple times when Emmy fell asleep at the dinner table, spoon still in hand. What a talent. And Danny, what ever happened to Danny? Where has s/he gone? Been supplanted by a broader vocabulary, I suppose, but Danny was a lot of fun to have around.
Good list here. It paints a well-rounded, affectionate picture of a wonderful person. Pass on birthday wishes to Emmy from Albion.
She has such a unique name. I hope she can appreciate it someday.
I remember that Emmy was born whilst I was in my poetic phase in college and I also noticed the peace that emanated from her even when she was just a matter of months old and wrote a poem about her. I'll have to dig it up sometime and share it with her.:-)
Beautiful! Of course, I have a fondness for Emmy due to Seth and her pre-school friendship. I wish they were still growing up together but instead, I'll appreciate her from afar:)
Happy Birthday!
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