Happy 10th Birthday Emillia

The quote usually goes: “Time flies when you’re having fun”, but every mom (ok, parent) knows the true version of this is: “Time flies when you’re a mom (parent)”. Even though it’s been ten years, it feels like just yesterday I was bringing home my first daughter. Happy 10th Birthday Emillia, today is all about you.

10 years has gone way too fast

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted kids. At one point, I had the crazy idea I’d have eight of them, but here we are and I’m barely mastering juggling three. I still remember finding out I was pregnant with Emi. Her dad and I had been trying for a while to no avail, and I’d pretty much given up on having kids. One day I found that my exhusband’s driving was making me car sick, which was not something I normally dealt with. Lo and behold, within a week I’d gotten a positive pregnancy test. A relatively easy pregnancy (aside from GD, an episode of passing out, and a month of measurable labor), we were blessed to bring home our baby girl on Memorial Day weekend 2010. I joke with her that she ruined my shopping weekend, but truthfully, I’d probably have spent too much money if I’d been able to go.

The first 12 months

I LOVED being a mom. It was like I’d been called to do this whole mom gig. We were living in California and childcare bills were about $200 less than I’d ever bring home, and in an effort to stay home with Emi, I started my photography business. She was my sidekick and we spent the next year flying back and forth to Washington for sessions and visiting family. Watching her learn new things, taking her first trip to Disneyland, and monthly photo shoots with my baby girl were just normal things for us.

Years One through Five

In a rather sudden turn of events, Emi and I moved home to Washington when her dad and I divorced. She remained my side kick, and we’d spend our weekends and evenings watching Disney channel, getting our favorite ice cream (Menchies) and having coffee dates. Sadly, as a single mom, I had to work during the week, so we didn’t have as much time together as I would have liked. She became a big sister the day after she started preschool, and she LOVED being a big sister. School quickly became her favorite thing (at least for a bit) and she couldn’t wait to learn to read.

Years Five through Nine

These years brought a lot of changes our way. Her dad moved back to Washington and she had to split households. Her bonus dad and I got (back) together, married and had baby Evan. Through it all, she has been resilient and it’s been a blessing watching her grow into a fiery pre-teen. She is incredibly kind hearted, strong willed and empathetic in ways I don’t think she’ll ever truly understand.

Happy 10th Birthday Emi

Today, we celebrate her 10th birthday. It’s exciting to start a new chapter, though bittersweet being amidst the pandemic. I am thankful for this extra time with her, even when she challenges me. It’s very obvious I’ve met my match in this one.

Check out our fall sibling session to see how much she’s grown in the last 8 months!