Happy Birth Mother's Day

Mother to mother
our love is one
brought together by Emeline.
With love filled tears
you let go of her
and my heart overflowed with the purest joy.
I look in her eyes
and an angel is there
bursting with love, ready to share.
Far away thoughts and dreams we can't hear
she's different I see,
yet precious and dear.
I want you to know
when the moon takes the light
and she's safe in her bed I kiss her goodnight.
And when to her I say
"Mommy loves you"
I say it from me
and I say it from you.
Mother to mother
our love is one
brought together by Emeline...

~Author Unknown


Happy Birth Mother's Day to our birth mom - the most gracious and loving person we have ever known.  We love her so much and are grateful every minute of every day for this beautiful life she has blessed us with.  We hope she feels loved and honored every day, but especially today.

I AM A Wonderful Mother

I Will Be A Wonderful Mother 

There are women who become mothers without effort,
without thought,
without patience or loss,
and though they are good mothers and love their children,
I know that I will be better.

I will be better not because of genetics or money or because I have read more books,
but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.

I have longed and waited.

I have cried and prayed.

I have endured and planned over and over again.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child.

I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore, and discover.

I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.

I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold, and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream.

My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child.

Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured.

I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend, and sister because I have known pain.

I know disillusionment, as I have been betrayed by my own body. I have been tried by fire and hell that many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed.

I have succeeded.

I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort.

I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.

I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely.

I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth when life is beyond hard.

I have learned a compassion that only comes by walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes, I will be a wonderful mother.
-Author Unknown

I AM a wonderful mother.  I aspire to be with every breath I breathe.  I'm thankful for this gift; this journey and all that it has taught not only me, but my husband as well.  We ARE wonderful parents. 

Walk of Hope 2013

Please come join Kris, Emeline and I on May 18th to take part in the 2013 Houston Walk of Hope which supports people living with infertility.  This is something near and dear to us as you well know as readers of our blog.  Please visit our personal webpage for our story and to find out more about this great cause:

Simpson Family Page

Thank you for taking the time to find out more and for your support.

Kris, Ashley and Emeline

About the Walk
The mission is simple—to build a community of support for people living with infertility and to raise awareness of a disease that impacts 7.3 million Americans.

The Walk of Hope is a day to for the infertility community and those that care about them to come together and raise awareness. People of all ages can participate as a walker or donor and raise awareness of how the disease of infertility impacts families nationwide. Funds raised from the Walk support local programming which includes support groups and educational events, public awareness initiatives, and advocacy efforts to ensure all family building options are available to all.

With your help, we will continue to

• offer hope to the 7.3 million Americans suffering with infertility
• provide RESOLVE events and support programs to the 1 in 8 couples diagnosed with infertility
• ensure that all family building options are available to all.
• break the silence of infertility. 

10 Months Old

Dear Emeline,

Oh boy - we've reached the double digits and you know what that means... You are soon to be 1 YEAR OLD.  I can't bare the thought of it just yet, so we won't talk about it.  For now, I'm going to enjoy every second of these last two months of your infancy before you become a full blown toddler. 

You brighten every day.  Every morning of ours begins by you jumping up and down in your crib, smiling and waving your arms for me to pick you up.  How can that day not be glorious when I'm greeted by you and your sweet innocence.  You have to be one of the happiest and most loving babies around.  I know every mom says this, but you just have to be.  The amount of love you show to others is incredible and just one of the many lessons you will teach Daddy and I.  Our hearts and home have never been filled with so much love.  Thank you for this gift.  

Here's a peek into your world at 10 months old:

• You are officially a stander.  You can really stand for as long as you wish now.  That's the last step before walking.  I have the camera ready, but my heart is not.  Please be a baby for a little longer. Please...
• You can walk while holding on to our hands for balance.  I don't think it will be long before you need no assistance.  You are obsessed with your walker right now and can push it all around the house.  You just need some help when you run into something.  
•  Recently when you get excited about something, you curl your hands up into a fist and throw your arms down in excitement.  It's quite funny. 
• Apparently you watch and retain everything I do even more so than I thought.  You carry your play phone with you everywhere, pretend to talk on it with me, pretend to type like Daddy and I on your play lap top and you can put on your lipstick and blot just like a little lady.  Gosh you are such a little sponge.
• Oskar and George continue to be your best friends.  They are with us for every diaper change, every bath, every meal and bottle and every playtime in between.  Lets just say, they don't leave your side.  You and George have been playing tug lately with his toys.  Sometimes I think you enjoy their toys more than your own.  You love playing in their dog room too.  It's become our second playroom. 
• Recently I realized I haven't taught you how to throw a ball and with in minutes, you had it down.  Now we go outside and play little games of catch under our maple tree.  I so love our afternoon play times in the sun.  
• You love all kids and this momma needs to step it up and enroll you in some classes.  We have lots of play dates with kids, but I know you would enjoy more.  I'll get on that - promise. 
• You finally have a favorite toy.  You know - the kind you bring with you everywhere you go.  Her name is Rosie and she is the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy.  Of course she's a dog.  You are obsessed with all things related to dogs. 
• Bath time continues to be one of your favorite times of the day.  You make a fist and throw your arms down in excitement every time you hear the water start.  You have these squirter toys called Dirty Dogs and the gray schnauzer is your favorite (of course, right?).  He pretty much stays in your hand the entire bath.
• Every day your babbling gets better and better.  You can mimic unbelievably well.  If you are in the mood, you will repeat a word we say and most of the time, its sounds just like what came our of our mouths.  I'm amazed.  You new word of the month is 'baby' and you have it down.  You also appropriately say 'bye bye' while we are in the car going somewhere.  You can also say 'gi gi' and 'la la la'.  I'm still 'nay nay'.  Although I know you can say 'mama' (I've heard you a handful of times).  You just prefer to call me 'nay nay'.  I hear it all day long and it warms my heart.  I'll be your 'nay nay' any day.  Although we are still working on 'mama' 
• You have 6 teeth now and at the moment you have no signs of any others popping through.  My little dentist-to-be, every night after bath you squeal in excitement when it's time to brush your teeth.
• We are still working on our sign language and you can sign - milk, water, eat, all done and more.  Those are all the ones I have taught you so far!  Time to start working on others.
• Grammy has taught you how to make this clicking noise with your tongue and you do it all the time now.  It's pretty cute.
• I taught you how to call the dogs by tapping your leg and now we call them to come inside together.  Your face lights up every time they run to the house. 
• Another Emeline funny - I taught you how to help me discipline the dogs and you point and wave your finger at them and say 'bubba' over and over.  I tell you to say 'no no no, bubba', so you point to say 'no', wave your finger around and then actually say 'bubba'.  We have a hilarious video of this.  
• You are such a great eater; I can't believe it.  Both your birth mom and I are very picky eaters and I just had myself convinced that you would be.  I was so wrong and I'm very thankful.  You will eat anything.  The only thing you still don't like is avocado, but I sneak it into things and you eat it.  Blueberries and peas are your favorites.  You eat finger foods like a full blown toddler now - 3 times a day and 1 afternoon snack. 
• You drink 3 - 8oz bottles of formula a day and water through a sippy cup whenever you want it.  
• Sleep continues to be the same.  You sleep from 7:30pm-8:00am.  Sometimes you wake up even later and I so enjoy those mornings I get to sleep in.  I realize every day how lucky I am to have a baby who is such a good sleeper.  Your nap schedule is the same as well.  Your morning nap is anywhere between 45 min to an hour and a half. Your after noon nap is between 1 and 2 hours and sometimes only 30 minutes.  Your naps have really been all over the board lately. 
• You are still in size 6-12 month or 9 month clothes and size 3 diapers.  

Thank you for making every day count. 

You are the best thing that ever happened to us,

Mommy and Daddy

(Oskar and George too)

Bluebonnet Beauties

It's spring in Texas and you know what that means - Texas is painted with wildflowers and bluebonnets!

In true Texas fashion, we took Emeline and her cousin Mila out to this gem of a patch of bluebonnets right down the street from my parents house.  These photos are extra special to our family because Granny (who passed away a few years ago) loved bluebonnets.  They were her absolute favorite flower and they very much represented her.  I think our Papa will treasure these photos for the rest of his life (or until we take more next year!).