A Trip Down Birthday Memory Lane

Today is my baby girl's birthday.  I guess I should really stop calling her that now.  After all, she's 9 now...but I'm her mamma and she'll always be my baby girl.  The sweet, adorable, squishy cheeked person who stole my heart.  There's something about the firstborn that's special.  Obviously both my kids are special to me and I love them both to death, but there's something to be said for being the first baby and having parents who have no idea what they are doing.  By the second kid you've got it all figured out, right?!  Ha!  Every single stage with her is new and I still have no idea what I'm doing...but I love that she's the one that I get to learn with as I go.  She's a challenge and a blessing all rolled into one and I wouldn't have her any other way.  :)  Every year on my children's birthdays I start to get all sentimental and start dragging out the old photos to see how much they've changed.  This year is no different.  I realize all too clearly how incredibly fast it is going and how much time I waste doing other things rather than really being present with my girl.  These next few years are going to be big ones with lots of changes and that terrifies me and excites me all at the same time.  I hope I can be the mother that she deserves.  I pray that I make time for her and all of her questions and silliness.  I am looking forward to a year filled with giggles and craziness, cuddles and love, moments of teaching and learning, plenty of patience and growth, sharing of hopes and dreams, and times of quiet to soak it in.  I can't wait.  It's hard to believe that it was just a short nine years ago (you know you're getting old when you refer to nine years as a short time!) that I met this amazing baby girl.

My original baby (she likes when I call her that since I call her little brother 'the baby').  We didn't even have a digital camera it was so long ago!  This is one of the few digital pics I have of her and I have no idea where I got it.  I wish I could make it bigger, but this is as big as it gets.

And then in the blink of an eye she turned 1.

And then she was 2.  Oh, the cheeks, the pigtails and the smile!   I just wanna squish her.  

And then she was 3.  My little princess.  She was so girly and would never wear pants.  

Her 4th birthday.  The one and only time she had bangs.  I hardly recognize her in this photo.

Then she was 5.  All smiles and perfect little baby teeth.  I love and miss her short hair.

Then she was 6.  I love her little face.  She still looks so young.

From age 6 to 7 brought a big change with much longer hair and some grown up teeth!

That year I did a photo shoot for her birthday in the snow.  This is one of my favorites.

And then she was 8.  Looking so grown up here!

I took this photo of her on her actual birthday last year.  So exactly one year ago today!  

I cannot believe another birthday is here.  I don't have a photo yet.  I'm writing this the night before so I've yet to take her birthday photo this year.  She's got big plans though.  A Luau themed party with friends and a couple of birthday dinners with family.  She can't wait and that makes me so happy.  I love her.  I wonder if I'll be writing about her birthday someday when she's turning 37.  I wonder what she'll be like.  Will she be married?  Will she have kids?  Will she still be the crazy, sweet, wonderful girl who fills my life with sunshine?  How could she not be?  I know I will love her just the same and that is all that matters.  Happy Birthday to my Favorite Girl!!