Emily’s 4th Birthday!

Four…four! Emily is 4! I love 4, it’s one of my favorite ages.

Old enough to walk alone, young enough to want to be held.

She’s still got the adorable ‘little kid’ way of talking and explaining things, but she understands me and I understand her.

Emily says, “It was an acc-i-didn’t” when she means accident. It makes perfect sense, she didn’t mean to, so it’s an acc-i-didn’t.

She’s fearless in a way that must be necessary as #5. She knows someone is always right there to catch her if she stumbles. To laugh when she’s funny. To clap if she succeeds or run for a band-aid if she doesn’t.

This girl- she makes sure she isn’t lost in the crowd as baby #5. From her very labor and birth she spoke loud and clear that she would pave her own path, she’d make her own rules, she’d be her own person- not a copy of anyone else.

For so long she was my toddler terrorist. There were {many} days I wondered if we’d both survive her toddlerhood. These days she’s still quite spicy, but there sure is a lot of sugar to go along with that spice.

She loves to laugh and make others laugh too. When she allows me to take her picture it usually looks like this. One smile in the middle of 15 silly faces. 

Looking forward to spending the next year with her, watching her grow and change. She’ll leave the baby looks and sounds behind this year and become a little girl. Bittersweet.

Happy 4th Birthday, Emily. What a treasure you are!