4 years old!

I look at this picture and feel so proud that she is our daughter. She brings such joy and laughter to our lives. She's 4 and I really can't believe it. I remember so clearly the day she was born. We couldn't keep our eyes off of her, wondering how our lives had changed for the better. She is her own person and teaches us new things every day. I get a huge smile on my face watching her play with Isaiah or her own creative play. She's so sweet and caring, my heart bursts out of love for her. She's been through a lot of changes this last year handling them all as a new adventure. With the move to our new house came changes in her daycare. She's been at 3 in the last year and adjusted with ease to all of them. This last one was a bit of a challenge only because the one in between was only for 6 weeks. Poor girl probably thought we were going to be switching again. We figured out a little routine when mommy drops her off and that does the trick. The day that comes when she doesn't need to race me to the window to wave goodbye is going to break my heart because it will remind me that I can't keep her the way she is forever. She is the most adorable little girl that I know with her bouncy curly hair. She still can't go anywhere without someone commenting. I love to see the outfits she picks out for the day. They usually involve something pink in which she calls herself "Pinkalicious". Her babies are her world taking care of them and quieting us when they are sleeping. It really doesn't matter if they are doll babies or made up babies out of blankets or heating pads, they all need to be taken care of! She's cautious, observant and smart. Rules and discipline are a big deal to her (she gets that from me). When she acts up we take away privileges such as reading books or her bedtime routine. She takes this very seriously and is excited when she's behaved well enough to get them back. To give an example last night she had lost privileges because she didn't have a very good attitude the morning before. We have this routine after bath where the kids like me to rock them in my arms and sing "rock a bye baby". Of course she waited until I was done, but said "mommy you shouldn't have sung that to me"... "why shouldn't I have sung that sweetie" "remember Mama, I lost privileges and this is a privilege". We must have done something right in raising her so far! We look forward to the next year, watching her grow and try new things. She'll always be our little girl, though, no matter how many years go by.