Dear Makenna...

Dear Makenna,

Tomorrow's the big day, the day you've been waiting for all year. It's finally your turn - Happy Birthday my beautiful girl.
4 years old. 4 years itself doesn't seem like a long time, and yet I can't remember life before it. What a year this has been for you, and for us. You are growing up so fast. Your daddy just said tonight that it's as if you don't even need us anymore; you brush your teeth yourself, you wash your face yourself, you choose your clothes and dress yourself, you play independently and put your toys away yourself (most of the time!) You can write your name, and all your letters and numbers. You know how to spell various words, and can count to 100. You're only 4. Just 4...you've been doing all of these things for a long time already.

But of course you still need us. You're only 4. Your favourite time of day is when Mom or Dad (you prefer Dad) read you stories at bedtime. You snuggle right in. It won't be long before you're reading the stories to us. After we tuck you in, you always read a book or two to your "friends" and you have most of the books memorized word for word. The other night when Daddy went in to check on you, you were fast asleep, with the book open over your face. So sweet. You're only 4.
You love your care bears, your princesses (especially Ariel), your books, your crafts, gardening, baking, and the computer. You are able to find treehouse.com and play on it all by yourself, and are quite impressive on the computer. You're only 4.

But you don't love any of these things as much as you love your brother. This year you became a big sister, and you have made us so proud with how well you have handled that transition. Never once has there been an issue of jealousy, of rivalry, of saying anything bad about Jack.
You love your brother so much, and he loves you. As soon as he came home from the hospital and you saw him and spoke, he knew your voice. The bond was formed on Day 1. I have been blown away at your love for your little brother. Such maturity. You're only 4.

Time is beginning to speed up. You're already 4. This past sumemr you were in soccer and Kinderoo. In a couple days you will start school, and in a way I will have to let go a little bit. You will enter the school system, where you will spend so many years...you're no longer a little one, you go to school now. In a way my time with you is ending now that you're in school - I'm not your only teacher anymore - you'll be learning so much more, so much faster, and school will become your special place, a world of your own. A real seperation from Mom and Dad. You're only 4.

Each year as I write this letter I reflect on all the accomplishments, all the changes, and all the growth you've achieved over the past year and this year is no exception. You are just a treasure to me, so special. With each year it becomes more apparent how destined for greatness you are. There's no doubt in my mind that you are going to do wonderful things in your life, and you're only 4.

I look forward to the coming year and all that lies ahead for you, and for us. I love living this journey with you, and experiencing the world through your eyes. Your excitement and passion for both the big things and the little things in life is so infectious, you make me want to be a kid again.

Happy Birthday my special girl, you're already 4.


Love Mommy
xoxo