Day 5 / 365: Happy Birthday to Olivia

Tonight the family went out to a local restaurant to have a little celebration for your cousin Olivia's 6th birthday. It was a great night made even better because Aunt Tonya was home from Utah to visit. You and your cousins had a blast running around playing arcade games and trying to play pool. We all sat around and ate deep-fried-bad-for-you food, laughed and spent time as a family like we haven't been able to in awhile. You kids had your Aunt Tonya eating out of your hands. Man...she sure does love you guys.

I hope another 10 or 20 or maybe even 30 years from now, if we are so lucky, that we can still get together and do things like this. It makes me realize that you are the incredible person you are because you have an incredible family around you. I am so fortunate to have you all in my life.

Day 4 / 365: A Trip to the Doctors

The excitement is plain as day on your face. You were not thrilled to be there. But, you acted like a big girl anyways. He checked you over head to toe and you barely made a peep. No, you weren't sick. He said you looked pretty healthy. Good height and weight. The tubes are still in your ears and they are looking good (thank goodness!) He said he was very glad to hear you would be going to preschool again this fall and he'd sign your preschool physical form! You listened carefully as he talked to us as lately you've said you want to be a doctor when you grow up. (Sometimes a human doctor, sometimes an animal doctor, and occasionally you say both!)

We talked about having you allergy tested again too. You were diagnosed as being allergic to cocoa beans almost 3 years ago. Yes, chocolate: white, dark, milk and any byproducts of the sort containing it. You've been exceptional with it. You always ask an adult if something has chocolate when they offer it to you. If it does, you politely say no thank you and go about your way. I'm glad to see that it hasn't bothered you one bit, as I was worried that your first year of preschool would hold some problems with it.

I could envision children eating chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream, and you alone in the corner feeling left out. Instead, you've kind of embraced the fact you can't have it, knowing it makes you special. You choose to snack on fruits and veggies instead of gravitating toward the junk foods; although you have a love affair with potato chips. In some ways I hope your allergy remains, so you never have to worry about all the excess weight that can come along with the chocolate junk foods. I know you'll do fine with whatever the outcome is...it's me that will need to cope.

So you winced as the doctor said he could do a scratch test or blood draw sometime soon to test you again. I'm thinking for that days picture, you probably won't have that sarcasm on your face that you did today. Still want to be a doctor, honey?

Day 3 / 365: My Little Bookworm

Today we uploaded the book audio of some of the books you got from your birthday to your Leapfrog Tag Reading System. You didn't want to put them down. You read and re-read the books so many times, I was sure you'd be bored of them. You listened carefully and followed along as the voice read the words on each page. Soon, you were able to recognize some of the words I pointed to without any help at all!

You did especially well on the phonics games in this book. You'd give me a little smirk and roll your eyes as I would cheer loudly each time you answered right. At one point, you looked at me and said, "Mom, I know this. You don't have to yell every time!"

Meredith, there is one thing you'll have to come to know: I'll always be your #1 fan.

Day 2 / 365: Sunset on a Crazy Day

Today we went to the beach. It wasn't really planned or anything, but it was a nice way to end the day. We walked around, no rushing. The beach was quiet except for the sounds of the waves and nature around us. It was very relaxing and you needed it, I needed it. You were very keyed up from playing with your cousins today.

The sunset around you was so pretty. I bet I snapped 30 pictures of you like this. It reminded me of a post card someone would send you from Hawaii. "Wish you were here" it would say. I'm glad I was.

Day 1 / 365: Happy 4th Birthday

Today is the day I start this project for you. It just so happens that today is also your 4th Birthday. Today we had a nice little party for you. You picked out your cupcake-cake yourself: white cupcakes with butter cream icing and decorated with My Little Ponies. They were delicious! You had a great turn out and the weather was very nice. Everyone had a great time.

There were many times I looked at you today and tried to remember the day you were born. Of course I cannot remember a lot of the little details but on the whole, the picture is still pretty clear. You came pretty quickly and gave me no problems in the delivery room: two pushes and you were out! It kind of left me in shock! You scored as perfectly healthy as a newborn baby could, which was a relief to us all. They told me all along in my pregnancy that you were on the small side and could have some problems. I'm glad you proved them wrong.

They handed you over and you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Now, as you grow up, you'll learn that a lot of newborns are quite odd looking. (I hesitate to use the word "ugly". Odd or akward is more politically correct. Can't have people thinking your mom is a baby hater!) Everyone raved about how cute you were. So cute were you, in fact, that when the obstetrics nurses heard they were filming a commercial for the hospital, they ran to the crew and told them that there was the world's cutest baby upstairs that they had to include! (Ok...maybe I added the "world's" part, but it was darn close!) So next thing I know a nurse inches her way into the room with a little grin on her face. She asks me if I would be willing to appear a hospital commercial with my newborn. And we did. We're on camera a collective of maybe 5 seconds, but I can honestly say, baby...you were born to be a star!

So I got a little wrapped up in my memories of that day at your party. I'm sure people saw me with that distant look in my eye. Your growing up so fast and I couldn't be more proud of the person your becoming. We all love you so much.

...and your still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen