Emilee is 17 Months Old

Its hard for me to believe that Emilee is 17 months already. She is no longer a little baby, but a happy, healthy, lovable, courious, independent toddler. Everyday is an adventure for her and I have the privilege of seeing the world from a different perspective along with her. I have heard for years about how having a baby changes your life... Yes, she has changed my life so very much- I was happy before, but now I wake up with smiles every morning; and my days are filled with singing, kisses and laughter! Emilee is a blessing to my family, my home, and my life. She has added a whole new dimension and depth of love around me and has brought a wonderful, new meaning and perspective to my life. Until now, I always felt like I was waiting for life; but now life is here, and my heart is full~ Emilee is such a joy to have around. She is happier, snugglier, and more loving each day! I love to watch her wake up in the mornings. She slowly opens her eyes, and when she sees me there, I get the sweetest, biggest smile ever! Then we snuggle, Mornings are my favorite part of the day! Emilee is such a warm and compassionate child. She hugs you so tight that she grits her teeth. When she hugs you, she pats your back three times as if to say Life is great. She loves to give kisses and loves to blow kisses good bye. At times she is like Miss America, waving and blowing kisses to everyone walking by. Recently I was watching my Gotcha Day Video and I could not believe how much Emilee has changed.When I received Emilee, she could not roll over, sit herself up, or even pick up a cheerio. She could not crawl or talk and only had four teeth. Not only does she have 16 teeth, but she is a daredevil. Who loves to run and dance and climb. She loves to build with block and legos and can eat with a folk. ( when she can't properly pierce the food, she picks it up with her hand, puts it on the end of her fork, and then uses the fork to put it in her mouth!) She is still not talking, but she does have her own language and babbles all day long. She looks at you and tells you a whole story in her babble then laughs and walks away. I wish I could know what she was thinking. She has such a sweet personality and loves to smile and laugh. When she laughs, she puts her hands over her mouth and belly laughs. Its the cutest thing to see. Emilee loves to draw, type on the computer and make lots of phone calls! She also "puts on her make-up" while I do mine. She uses the cap and pretends to apply lipgloss, eyeliner, powder, etc... It is the cutest thing! Emilee weighs 22 pounds and is 32 1/2 inches tall.! Her hair is finally starting to grow-but she still wakes up with what call "Kim Jung Ill hair"- which sticks straight up! Its so Funny and sooo cute! It really is amazing how quickly she is growing up; I treasure each moment and try so hard to firmly plant her every detail in my memory. She has about 50 different smiles-and her laughter is just priceless! I wish photographs could capture just how special she is... My darling Xiu Xiu may be growing up, but she is still so sweet, so loving, so funny, so smart, so cuddly, and so wonderful in every way! She is truly a miracle, and I thank God so very much for blessing me with her. Being Emilee's Mommy is my dream come true~ Happy 7 months together, my beautiful baby girl!