4.
Four.
I can't believe my first born is 4.
It makes me sad and happy all at the same time.
She's turning into a beautiful little girl, inside and out. Four. I keep saying it like it's not real. I still feel like we just left the hospital with her and Tim was driving slower and more careful then I'd ever seen him drive before. I was in the backseat of that wild truck that we had making sure my precious angel had a smooth ride home along with kissing her sweet face every 15 seconds.
I couldn't wait for her to get here. What was she going to look like? How big was she going to be? I couldn't wait to rock my newborn baby to sleep in my arms.
It went by fast.
Too fast.
I'm going to blink and she's going to be 10.
And then 16.
And then moving away to college.
The milestones and birthdays are exciting, but I want to freeze time. I try to sometimes. When it's late at night and they wake up crying or just needing their Mommy. I hold them as tight as I can and tell myself to remember this moment. It makes me cry. Every time.
Now my little girl is four. I seriously don't know how that happened.
But she's amazing.
When I think of Riley, the word dramatic is the first one I think of. Followed with sweet, and stubborn, and special.
She's been looking forward to her birthday since before Thanksgiving.
"Is it my birthday yet?"
"Are you going to make me a cake?"
Is it going to have Princess's on it?
"Am I going to get presents?"
"I can't wait for my birthday Mommy!"
I had to make one of those Christmas chains, that led up to Christmas and then 3 days after that was her birthday, and a few days after that was her party. It definitely helped.
We made cupcakes the day of her birthday to have my parents over to wish her a happy day. She liked that. She also got to go to the park with Nana and Granddad. Did you know that Nana and Granddad were here for her birthday?
That's special.
Her Daddy brought home balloons because that's what awesome Daddys do.
We celebrated her birthday with the rest of the family on Saturday, the 1st. I had some cute princess stuff for that party. For the cupcakes on her actual birthday, I had something different.
Don't you wish you actually knew why I had these paper plates?
Riley was excited that everyone came on her birthday and that they brought her a few presents before her actual party. One gift was a Rapunzel dress. Did you know that Riley's most unfavorite color is purple? She cries if she has to wear it. Purple is Madi's favorite color. Riley's favorites are pink, blue, and red.
Did you know that since she got the Rapunzel dress, purple is now added to her list of favorite colors. And Madi is allowed to share it.
And like all good birthdays, they end in drama. And in Riley's case, the drama is loud, and wet, and red. But I love her, and her drama, and her tears.
She is my four year old. I've been told I was dramatic like Riley when I was four. You know, I can remember being four. That's the age that I really started to remember things. That means Riley is going to remember a lot from here on out. Isn't that neat? Her life is beginning now. The life that she is living. The life that I gave her, you know, with the help of God and Tim.
Happy birthday to my amazing little girl. Riley, you have changed my life forever. I am forever grateful for the gift you have given me. For the title you gave me, the title that I've always wanted.
Mommy.
You will always be my little girl. I love you with all of my heart.
Okay, I'm crying and I still have parts 2 and 3 to post about. I can't take it.
