"One, Two, Three....Ladybugs Came to the Ladybug Picnic"

Our sweet girl turned ONE on October 1st! I can't even believe how fast this year has gone by. I've been telling everyone that I still feel like she is only 6 months old or something. I think that I'm subconsciously 'babying' her and I don't know if it's because she's my 2nd or if it's because she's a girl....maybe both! I just remember Truett's first birthday and thinking that he was such a 'big boy', whereas with Emma, I don't feel that at all.

Anyway, it was a busy week for us, but we still managed to have TWO birthday parties!! :) On Thursday night (her actual birthday), we headed over to my mom's house for a birthday celebration. We had dinner, cake, and opened presents. YUMMY kabobsOf course....DONUT CAKE....no party is complete at the Goulas House without it!!Emma wasn't too big on the cake (definitely does NOT get that from ME!). Actually, I think it's the icing she's not too fond of (again, definitely NOT from ME!). So, she looked at the cake, touched it a couple of times, but was pretty much over it. After cake, she opened her gifts. Reading her birthday cards from MawMaw and Gooey Opening her present from Nannie Em....What's inside???BOOTS WIT' THE FUR!!!!!!!!!LeeLa' and PaGou gave Emma a walker/pusherStruttin' her stuff with her new toy and boots!

Emma's new book that Jay and I gave to her. My grandma sent a newspaper article to me that was all about this book. It's a book dedicated to redheads - Little Redheads Across America.

It's filled with pictures of little kids with red hair from every state in the country. Each picture has a little something about each kid. The book also has facts and myths about redheads, tips for handling being teased about having red hair, explanations of why you have red hair, etc.... It's a really cute book! Thanks for the idea, MawMaw! I know Emma will love it for years to come, because whether her hair changes color or not, she was a redhead FIRST! :)

On Sunday, we had her birthday party here. We always call her 'Little Lady', and with my previous obsession with ladybugs, it was a no-brainer when it came to choosing a 'theme' for her party. Everything was very 'girly', too....so much fun! The invitation And, OF COURSE, she had to have her very own special party dress (compliments of Gifted Sistas - http://www.giftedsistas.blogspot.com/)

I made Emma her very own 'dig into it' cake, too. I was keeping my fingers crossed that she would be more excited about this cake than she was about the donut cake....did I mention that she's never had cake before? I mean, her first delicious bite of cake, and....NOTHING! Anyway....

I also made pink and chocolate cupcakes for everyone else, along with flower-shaped sandwiches.

After we ate lunch, it was time to open presents.

Some of her 'firsts' as gifts were her first baby stroller from Gramma & PaPaw, her first Barbie doll from Paran Ben, and her first rocking horse from Charlie, Michelle and Olivia. She also got her first cellphone from Jay and me, along with her first very own collection of books from Aunt Wendy, Uncle Todd, Kennedy and Madison. Uncle Jim, Aunt Stephie and Dakota gave her her very first remote controlled toy....a Smart Puppy! Some gifts were her 'first' AND 'second'....Uncle John and Gramma gave her the same baby doll....TWINS! :)

LeeLa' and PaGou gave her a Raggedy Ann doll (which my mom MADE). My mom has made a Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy doll for my brother and sisters, both of my kids and myself. I LOVE THEM and think she should sell them!!! (Let me know if you're interested in ordering one!)

My mom personalizes the heart of each doll she makes. :)

Emma & Papa putting together her new toys

I was so glad that Emma was able to get her very own toys instead of sharing Truett's old toys because in Truett's mind, they're still HIS, no matter how 'babyish' they are. So, NOW, it's Emma's turn to share HER toys with Truett, which he has constantly been reminding us of BEFORE the gifts were even opened!

After presents, it was time for CAKE! She wasn't too sure about everyone singing Happy Birthday to her, and was even LESS sure about the cake! Again, she really didn't get into the cake at all.

Notice the 'pure excitement' on her face as we sang the Birthday Song!

This was the moment where I thought she was going to take the plunge and dig right in, but it was just a MOMENT, and nothing more!

Of course, by this 'after cake' picture, it would seem as though she really got after it, but in reality, she got full of icing because she kept sticking her elbow in the cake each time she would turn in her chair, trying to escape! hahahah!

I guess Truett enjoyed the cake enough for both of them!

Here's Jay after the party! :)

We had a great time celebrating with everyone....well, ALMOST everyone. Sarah was on a church retreat, so she wasn't able to make it to the party and Emily is in North Carolina, but they were DEFINITELY here in spirit!!!!

Emma-We love you so much and are so blessed to have you as a part of our family. I am so proud to be your mom. You add so much to our lives and we look forward to watching grow. Thank you for brightening our days! We love you, Little Lady!

Our Sweet Little Lady

Today is Emma's 1st birthday! This past year has just flown by and it's hard for me to even picture her as anything other than a baby. I remember being pregnant and just KNOWING she was going to be a girl. I bought her first bow before I had my first ultrasound and ordered her PINK bedding with her name embroidered on it before we even had confirmation from the doctor that she was, in fact, a girl (Jay wasn't too happy about the trust I put in my 'gut feeling', but luckily for me, it was right on)!

Emma is such a sweet little thing and loves following Truett around. She's definitely more serious than Truett EVER was, but as she's gotten older, she's started loosening up a bit. :) Her read hair has stuck around, and has even started to curl a bit. When I was pregnant, I would ask Truett what he thought his baby sister was going to look like and he'd always say, "She's going to have pink hair and green eyes." We thought that was so funny, especially once she was born and out came this little redhead that we NEVER expected!!! :)

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

Emma-

You have brought so much joy to our family. Being the first granddaughter on both sides of our families, you have introduced us all to the world of pink and frilly! We have enjoyed every second of loving you and watching you grow. I can't wait for this next year and look forward to the many tea parties and pigtails to come!!! We love you, Emma!

Random Moments

Truett cheesin' it up for the camera

Sarah & Jay in Grand Isle

Emily, Emma & Truett

Our attempt at getting a picture of Emma's 1st tooth....HAHAHAHHA! Notice, there are STILL no pictures!

Papa & Emma relaxing on the porch in Grand Isle

Here are a few pictures of Emma getting a hold of Truett's snacks....

A fist-ful of peanut butter Her first OREO cookie....The look on her face is like, "You've known about this and have been holding out on me????"

Truett & Emma in San Antonio

Truett jumping in the backyard

We're Adding on to Our Family.....

NO!!! It's NOT me!!! My sister is preggers!!!! We are sooo excited! I am so thrilled about being an aunt and being able to enjoy a baby without having to wake up with it in the middle of the night! hahahaha!

I can't wait for Emily and Michael to find out what they're having so I can start embroidering his/her name on anything I can get my hands on!!! I'm really hoping for a girl because I already have visions of making/buying matching outfits for her and Emma! Of course, if it's a boy, I already have visions of my dad getting matching LSU t-shirts for he and Truett! Either way, we're THRILLED!

Emily and Michael- We look forward to sharing this exciting journey with you during the next months ahead. We can't wait to meet the sweet little life the two of you are bringing into the world. Congratulations and we love both of you...I mean, ALL THREE of you!!!!!

So Long, Farewell....

So, my sister, Emily, moved to North Carolina today. It is definitely bittersweet to see her go. I am so happy for her and excited about her starting this new chapter in her life, but the selfish part of wants her here. Just the thought of not seeing her on a regular basis makes me miss her already!

The move has been up in the air since she and Michael got married last month. They were told that it would be about 3 months or so before housing on the base would open up. A couple of weeks ago, Michael and Emily decided that they would put they would 'settle' for a house they weren't too crazy about in the meantime, just so that they could move Emily and be together. I can only imagine how miserable I'd be if I had to be away from my hubby....maybe no so much NOW, but DEFINITELY when we were newlyweds! :) hahahah! (Just kidding, JAY! I love you and am THRILLED for every moment I have with you!)

Anyway, when Michael went to put their names on the 'other list', he spoke with the woman there and worked the good ol' Michael Ryan charm. After painting a poor, pitiful picture of this lonely soldier and his new young bride, who was living 1200 miles away, the best the woman said she could do would be a house in 4 months, so Michael left. When he got in his car, the woman called him and told him that there was a house that was 'prime property' - backs up to the community center with the pool, etc.... The house was newly renovated and had just become available. She told him she had spoken with her boss and painted the same sad story, and then told him the house was theirs!!!!!!!!!!!!! TWO DAYS later, he had the keys in his hand, and Michael has been living in the house ever since!!!!

When Emily and Michael got married last month, she had slowly started packing up her apartment, knowing that at any moment, Michael could call and say that they had been approved for housing. Once she started packing, she basically moved in with my parents, so we have been able to spend a lot of time together the past few weeks. It really has been so great, but makes her leaving even that much harder!

Needless to say, Michael and Emily are so excited! We're so excited, too, but still hate to see Emily go. Last night, we had a family dinner to send Emily off. Her friends, Christina and Courtney joined us, along with Courtney's boyfriend, James. My dad made Emily's favorite supper....red beans and rice with French bread....YUM!
Before dinner, we gave Emily her 'going away' gifts. Jay and I bought webcams for Emily, my parents and us so that we can still see Emily on a regular basis. My mom actually started crying because she was so excited!

A party just isn't the same without party hats!

Sarah made a 'sister' scrapbook for Emily that was filled with photos of Emily and Sarah together. The two of them are really best friends and are so close. They confide in each other and support each other. The scrapbook truly was the perfect gift from Sarah.

After opening gifts, we all had dinner and visited for a while. When Jay and I headed out, I gave Emily a hug and told her to call me when she got to North Carolina. It wasn't until I drove away that I broke down.Emily - I love you so much and already miss you terribly! I know it's going to be hard adjusting to your 'new life' at first, but God has blessed you with a wonderful husband to support you and help you through tough times. Turn to him, confide in him and lean on him. It will strengthen your marriage more and more each day. I also know that you are an AMAZING woman with so much to offer to others. Be open to new people, new friends, new experiences. On the other hand, don't EVER hesitate to call at any time about any thing. I'm looking forward to our DAILY web chats!!! North Carolina is going to be great. Enjoy the time while you can. It will go by faster than you realize. I love you, Emily!

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." - Author Unknown