Happy 1st Birthday Jocelyn Ivory Phillips
November 11, 2014
What an eventful year! I've been waiting for you for such a long time, and to say your parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and great grandparents have been waiting for you is a big understatement! Of course you can't read this blog now, but someday you will. This is a short part of your first years journey.
Your mom and dad wanted to announce you were a girl to the family so they posted this shot so we could get ready for you! Girls are so much fun! We couldn't wait to meet you! To pass the time we tried to think of ways to include you and came up with this as our favorite (besides rubbing your moms tummy and saying "hello baby, can't wait to see you!")...
Auntie Errin and I painted your mom's belly but you didn't seem to like the attention of our tickling and stretching on the skin, you kept pushing against us while we worked. It was for a Halloween pumpkin painting contest your mom entered.
About a month later you came! Your parents had a contest to see who could guess the day, I felt pretty special because I guessed the day you would come :) You did a great job getting out of there, you looked a little dazed and exhausted, but so beautiful. YAY ! What a Happy Day! now we can touch you and talk to you!
Your Grandma Boone and Errin and Amanda and I were able to be there for the exciting labor and rushed right in to see you- It was a Special experience for all of us.
Great Grandma Stoller came to see you a few days after you were born and was so happy to welcome you to earth.
Everybody just wanted to soak up your Heavenlyness
Family came for Christmas, we love the big family get togethers, you'll see everyone here and two foreign exchange girls who were living with Brittany and Stew. They all loved to see you and hold you. There aren't many things more uplifting and enjoyable than being around a happy newborn baby.
You got to see Great Grandpa Stoller at your baby blessing and again when you visited their house in Utah. Everyone loves to hold you and watch you.
You went to support your Aunt Errin at her dance competition. Aunt Brittany came to visit.
March 2014
We had a fun Easter weekend, coloring eggs, eating candy, and having a marshmallow war- your mom made marshmallow guns and we had a lot of fun.
From the time you could reach you told us you wanted our phones, and tried to find ways to wiggle them away from us. We think it helped you to want to crawl faster!
One of my favorite pictures, like a garden Fairy Princess!
May 2014
Errin Graduated from High School, it was loud and you weren't super excited about that!
4th of July festivities in Meridian
Getting ready for swim season
such a happy girl.
You are adorable and show so much personality.
One of your earliest loves.... the color orange. Particularly the lid on the gatorade bottle.
I love your facial expressions! So serious with the eyebrows...
I love you!
September 2014
We got to come back to Meridian for a visit and had fun at the park.
Your mom makes yummy food for you so you can be healthy, and you love trying new things-and like most foods, you were really excited about getting to eat from an early age, you were preparing early to really enjoy food!
Not many people love the bath time more than you... unless we count your dad!
For Halloween you dressed up like a pumpkin, instead of paint you were in comfortable clothes! You went with the kids your mom watches for daycare. Your buddies.
My favorite picture of you. With your sweet little smile and bright eyes;
you ooze gratitude
and a "I'm happy to be here" feeling fills the room.
Jocelyn,
it's so nice to have you in our family. We are so grateful that we got to be there for your first seven months, it's an important time and getting to see you weekly gave us an edge into getting to know you. Watching you grow and learn was so fun, and I love your little personality and drive to learn. From day one I felt you absorbing knowledge and emotion from us all. From day one I knew you were powerful and determined. From day one I knew I'd love you forever.
Having a grandchild is something pretty special, it's like frosting on a cake, like sound with action, like great taste along with pretty food. You're extra! Of course you wouldn't be here without your parents, and my loving them makes loving you even more special. They were so excited to be parents and after they got over the shock and fear of having the responsibility of parenthood, you came and lifted them onto a whole new playing field. Once they saw you and felt you they were hooked and a different love filled their hearts. That love makes people very beautiful. Being loved by that love makes us beautiful.
I know you will go through changes as you become an adult, as you do I hope you keep these sweet traits that you came with: You are joyful because you wake with peace. You are kind as you look into souls with your deep stare as if you are wanting to give. You are strong- physically and mentally beyond your years. You are grateful, in your laugh, in your smile,
you appreciate and we can feel it.
You are determined and stay with a project until you are satisfied that you have learned it. Learning to use your hands, learning to crawl and walk, all of them required effort and you were able to focus and repeat the action until you were successful. You are anxious to learn and that is so fun! I love that you are happy, with just enough self esteem to let us know you need something. You don't need to be babied or coddled, your inner strength makes it easy for you to get over pain or obstacles, because your focus isn't on you, it's on your performance and trying. This will help you to accomplish many great things, and to overcome hardship.
I love that you show so much interest in action. You watch balls move, you think about it, then you go get the ball. You seem to understand movement and how it affects you and the object. We have loved sports and it has helped this family to get through hard things, it will be fun to have more join that hobby, but more than playing I am impressed with the way you study the action, again... so smart. It will be fun to watch you grow and see what you do with all that knowledge! Being observant keeps us from acting on impulse, being aware of consequence helps us choose well.
You are a blessing to us, not just because you are the first grandchild, but because of who you are. Thank you for all you did before you came to develop the special little lady that you are, I know you will work hard here, it's your nature. I know you love your parents and want them to be happy and want to please them, what a perfect situation, they want you to love them and you want them to love you. I hope you never forget that and always keep that thought in your heart as you grow, so that there is never any distance that a good talk and hug won't eliminate. You have great things to do Joss, and you will do great things! You're just wonderful, and I hope you always remember that, you are precious and we love you!
Love your favorite Gramma Phillips :)
Beautiful, mom :) Thanks so much for creating this wonderful present for Jocelyn.
ReplyDelete