Today it has officially been 8 years since you came into the world, kicking and screaming and a very scary shade of dark blue.
Your face was bruised and you were plump and alert and sweeter than sweet.
But I remember your scream.
You were furious that you had been welcomed so rudely. And you were not afraid to let us all know it. You screamed and screamed, and seemed extremely offended and quite frankly, ticked, that you had been pulled from your peaceful (though confining) home into a cold and stark and hostile reality.
You were so not happy to be here.
Luckily, it was a short-lived phase. You became our happiest baby. After that first impassioned fit, we didn't hear a peep out of you for 6 months. Not a whine, or a cry, or a whimper. Seriously, you never, ever cried.
You were the definition of happy.
You are a great many things and being your mom has been the greatest privilege of my life. I love everything about you and I learn from you every single day.
So, here are the Top 8 Things I've Learned About You in Your First 8 Years.
#1: You are JOYFUL.
You just like being happy. You like making other people happy. You hate it when people aren't happy.
Today you were being hyper during lunch and laughing so hard that you told me you couldn't take a drink because you were worried the water would come out your nose because you couldn't "stop being happy!"
#2: You are LOVEABLE.
People just genuinely like you. You are so easy-going and so fun to be around. You make the world a more loving place.
#3: You are a WORRIER.
You worry a lot for a girl of eight years. You worry about your siblings. You worry about me. You worry about the kids in your class and whether they will turn their homework in each day. You worry a lot, my dear.
#4: You are INQUISITIVE.
There is always a question on your bright little mind. You wonder how reindeer fly, how babies are made, how God was born. Your wheels are always turning and that, darling, is a very good thing.
#5: You are a HELPER.
You take care of Bailey without being asked. You clean up the whole house just to surprise me. You have your jobs finished + your shower done + your breakfast eaten before I crack an eye open in the morning.
#6: You are GRATEFUL.
I've never met a person, young or old, who is more appreciative than you are. You say thank you to me every day for cooking your dinner + helping you with homework + taking you places + watching Bailey + letting you eat snacks + picking you up from school + being your mom. You write little notes to people for their kind acts and talk for weeks about the things people have done for you. You notice the things people do and you are gracious to everyone.
#7: You are CREATIVE.
You say and make and design the cutest things. And you don't even have to copy Pinterest.
#8: You are SPIRITUAL.
You possess a spiritual maturity that is soooo beyond your years. You're always surprising us with your profound answers and insights and thoughts. I'm especially proud of your decision to be baptized and so honored to be your mom.
