emmett turns 4.

Well, it's official. My baby boy is 4 years old. I am having mixed feelings about it. Emmett is getting so big, but is still so young and helpless in so many ways. He is going to start preK in the fall, and I can't believe it! I will have two kids in school and that is so weird to think about.
Emmett started out his birthday with a play date with his friend Ezra. My friend Kristy has a salon in her home so while I had my appointment with her, the boys got to play. Emmett was insistent on bringing his balloon. :)

ready to start the day! 

When Matt got home from work, Emmett opened his gifts from us. He was really excited to start playing with them.

Ethnie helping out.

showing us how old he is!

After dinner, we met Matt's family at Highland Park to play and have cupcakes. We didn't have a birthday party with Emmett's friends this year because we figured he would rather have a quiet birthday at home. He just gets too overwhelmed right now with big groups. Going to the park with a few family members who live in the area was a great fit because Emmett could see some familiar faces, play outside, and still feel like it was his special day. 

 
pretty girl

with grammy

Emmett really loved his angry birds cupcakes. That is his favorite game to play on the iPad. I hated every minute of decorating them (I am not a baker), but it was worth seeing the smile on his face. They were yummy too.

new racing truck from papa and grammy

taking it for a spin

 

he played with it almost the entire rest of the evening :) 

I had his two balloons tied up and Emmett was begging me to let him play with one, but he hates having something around his wrist so risked letting him hold it.

he never let go!

dolls

having a blast together

happy birthday bud!

After the park, we stopped at Nelson's for ice cream, because we hadn't had enough sweet stuff yet....

nom nom nom 

  

to top it all off, a woman found a dollar on the ground and walked up to Emmett and gave it to him for no reason. lucky butt!

We love you Emmett, and we hope you had a wonderful 4th birthday!

legit animal encounters.

On Wednesday, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to take the kids to Como Zoo. The bummer was it was 5:00. We only had one hour before the zoo closed. We went anyway, and it ended up being the best experience we've ever had there! There was hardly anyone there, which was perfect for Emmett to handle and it was much easier for me to keep my eye on him. I think the animals were more comfortable because most of the people were gone. I should have taken more pictures, but I only got a few. I guess I was too busy enjoying the moment. :) 

checking out the polar bear.

the King has entered the building. check out how beautiful he is! I have never seen a lion this close before. he is huge.

the female lion came right up to the glass! so cool.

Emmett kept calling the female a kitty. :)

 

the monkeys in general were hilarious. this orangutan came right up to the glass.

We also had a great encounter with the gorillas, but I didn't take any pictures of them :( But if you want a great experience at Como Zoo, come just before closing! Have a great week!

happy father's day, dad and matt.

I love my dad. He always knows how to have fun and looks on the bright side of things. He is a half-cup-full kind of man, which is good for me! He has taught me to work hard for what I want and be self sufficient. I am grateful for all he has done for me. I will always remember growing up, he would always tell me I looked beautiful. And he has taught me many life skills that I will pass down to my kids. He has also helped me to appreciate where I grew up and all Minnesota has to offer, especially being on the lake. It is the best, and I always think of my dad when I am on the water. :) Happy Father's Day!

 I also want to say Happy Father's Day to my super hero, ninja of a husband. My kids and I are so lucky to have him. He is the kind of father I have always wanted for my children, and I am so grateful for his example. Our kids adore you, babe. They would not be truly happy without you. Keep up the good work. ;)

Today, we went to church and had Matt's family over for dinner. The weather finally cleared up, which was great. Matt's grandpa was able to come too and it was great seeing him. We had a nice time celebrating some great men!

meet Teanna.

Meet Teanna, Emmett's occupational therapist. She previously worked at Fraser Center and is now with Children's. And man, she knows her stuff! Emmett has had three sessions with her so far, and things are going well! He is growing comfortable with her the more they get to know each other.

working on fine motor skills.

the bean bin. working with textures and how to feel comfortable touching them.

The therapy swing. Emmett was afraid of this at first, but once he rode on it a few times and realized he was safe, he enjoys it. The swing is meant to help the brain engage more in processing the skills needed to ride on the swing, like balance, movement through the air, and depth.

working on oral motor skills by blowing bubbles.

now that Ethnie is done with school, she can come with to therapy. she enjoyed it!

working on oral motor skills while doing therapeutic listening at the same time. this engages all areas of the brain at once. it is an amazing system.

painting with shaving cream and working on touching different textures.

Ethnie was so helpful and learned a lot about the sensory issues Emmett has.

getting silly.

Emmett took a big step when he put the shaving cream on his nose. He immediately wanted it wiped off, but at least he tried it.:)

yay buddy!

once he wanted it off he tried wiping it off his face, which caused smearing all over his face and he began to panic. Teanna cleaned him up and felt it was time to stop the activity.

We feel really good about both of Emmett's therapists and are very hopeful that he will make the progress he needs! The hardest part is accepting the fact that it will not happen overnight, over one month, or even over one year. It needs to happen in baby steps, one moment at a time. I am slowly accepting this fact. I have been praying a lot lately for patience and comfort for myself and for Emmett.

Hope you all had a great weekend!