Emilia

Em is the friendliest baby - always smiling at everyone, crinkling her nose and communicating with newly learned sounds: gah, ba, ma, da, and her characteristic chirp. She's made friends with all of her daycare workers, aunties, uncles and, of course, relatives. She's also quite determined to utilize her new skills as she grows and learns. At 7 months, she is fixated on learning to crawl and shuffle her feet as if to walk when she pulls up to stand.

Emilia loves to interact with other people, and to be on the move. This interaction is usually best seen in silly play with her daddy, through toys or "rough housing." Hiking with her mama is a big part of her week. She really enjoys observing the world around her on walks. We love seeing her friendly and curious personality grow through these activities.

We hope to use all of the $25,000 for Emilia's future after graduating high school, either for her college education, a vocational school where she learns a valued trade, or assisting with a service organization like the Peace Corps. Being able to provide a relief of financial stress for her future would be a huge gift we'd like to give as parents.