Category Archives: birthday letters

happy 3rd birthday, nella!

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Nella Joy,

Even typing out your name is a reminder to me of how bright and beautiful you are (“nella” means “shining light”), and also how much real happiness you’ve brought us. You create joy every single day for us with your nearly incessant giggles, laudable funny faces, and goofy jokes. A Mister Rogers’ quote that describes our time with you so perfectly comes to mind: “You’ve made this a special day, by just your being you.”

We call you Nellbells, Nellie, and Nellie Bellie.

You are such a petite little thing, standing at 2ft 10.5 in tall (5th percentile) and weighing 24.5 lbs (below the percentile chart). You wear a size 7 toddler shoe and 2t and 3t clothes. I still carry you pretty easily, and I love that you’re still little enough to cuddle.

You have deep blue eyes and the craziest blonde curls. We all say you look like a Norwegian baby.

You are talking so much now, and I love hearing your little voice! You are making sentences of several words, and it’s just fun to hear what you’re thinking. You don’t say “s” or “c” sounds yet. You do have a hard time pronouncing a lot of things, so sometimes, we can’t understand you very easily, and you get so frustrated. You have several words that all sound like “bah-bull”, and that can get really confusing for us. We’re trying, and I know that you’re just going to get better and better at it as this next year goes on.

Speaking of language, you are my most-willing toddler/preschooler at learning French. I’ve gotten you to count up to 4 (“un, deux, trois, quatre!”) and you do it on your own often.

We’re starting preschool with you this school year. I can’t even believe you are so so big already. I just know you’re going to love “doing school” like your big sisters do. Kaya has already started teaching you animal names, numbers, and letters by doing puzzles with you.

You don’t usually like having your picture taken. Sometimes, you’ll give me a really great grin, but it’s completely random.

You love your sisters and mama, but you are most definitely a Daddy’s girl. If he’s around, he’s all you want. He gets to help you do everything when he’s home because you wouldn’t have it any other way. I love it when he makes you laugh.

You adore singing and ask Daddy to sing you Twinkle Twinkle Little Star every night at bedtime. Your sneakers even have stars on them, so you call them “up above the world so high” shoes. You are obsessed with the moon and look out your window before you lie down to see if it’s visible. If the moon is not there, you are always disappointed and say “no moon”.

You still take a nap every day, and up until these last few weeks, you were sleeping for about 3 hours each afternoon. Now, I sometimes catch you playing when I go in your room to put Eve down, and you instantly dive onto your bed, hide your face, and pretend to sleep. You do eventually pass out, but then you don’t want to get up when nap time is over. Silly.

You’re a good eater sometimes, and other times, you’re really picky and only want to eat if we help feed you. You really love yogurt, taco salad or wraps, spaghetti, and pizza. Your favorite fruit is definitely clementines, and you really love mini wheats and a muffin for breakfast in the morning. You ask me for Goldfish (“blub-blubs”) all the time! You also really love lollipops and will ask me just about every day for “a pop?”, although we really save them as treats. If you get an extra-special treat, like a donut or a cupcake, you will only eat the frosting and leave the rest of it, even if it’s chocolate. What?!

We finally potty trained you, about a week after your birthday, and you were the easiest learner by far. I can count the total number of accidents you had (and only in the first two days) on one hand. We waited so long with you because you had a lot of tummy troubles and had to be on Miralax for many months. I didn’t want to force you into potty training because I thought it’d be too traumatic… and I’m so glad we waited. We still put a diaper on you for sleep, but you wake up dry most of the time. You’re a rockstar, and you LOVE wearing your Elmo undies!

You’re a pretty independent kid. You’re completely content to play on your own for almost the entire day. Your favorite toys are baby dolls and Calico Critters. You take care of your babies and come up with little stories for your Critter families. You just love mommies, daddies, and babies so much. You often pretend that anything and everything is a mommy, daddy, or a baby (sippy cups, forks, you name it).

You often ask to be the “helper” when I’m preparing a meal, and once I say “yes”, you drag a chair over to the counter, and usually you start eating whatever is there. You seem to think that grazing before the meal is helping, which I find hilarious. Sometimes you really do help by putting all the muffin liners in the pan when I’m preparing the batter.

You call your pinky your “baby thumb”, and we just think it’s the cutest thing we’ve ever heard. You usually say “my baby thumb hurt” when you want a bandaid.

You make these hilarious “grumpy”/serious faces all the time. Your Great-Auntie Joyce says I used to make the same ones all the time when I was little.

You’re a rule follower. If you think you did something wrong, you hide your face in your hands or under your arms and don’t come out for awhile. Sometimes, we can’t figure out why you’re hiding or feeling bad. We call this your “turtle shell”.

You are absolutely obsessed with Elmo, Daniel Tiger, Moana, and Frozen (“Ro-Ro!”) right now. You stop and point them out any chance you get. We were at the grocery store yesterday, and you found probably every item in there that had Frozen characters on it. I think your one true love is Hei Hei, the chicken from Moana. You want to paint or color him over and over again, so you’re always asking me to print out another page for you. If you’re not decorating your Hei Hei paper, you’re asking to watch the movie. I’m planning on making you a little plush Hei Hei you can snuggle.

You have quite a little collection of stuffed animals now. They are all your favorites and have to sleep in your bed every night. You have Bowie the black dog, Rawr-Rawr the dragon, Star the Unicorn, Elmo, Hoo-Hoo the owl, and Baby Doo Doo the shark. Then, there are your ultimate favorites, Beagle and Baby Beagle.

You are genuinely so funny and silly that you make us laugh all the time. I hope you’ll always be a little (big!) goofball.I love you so much that my heart often feels like it swells up, and I get a little lump in my throat sometimes. Before you were here, when we were waiting and praying and wishing for you, (although it was not as long as many other strong mamas have to wait), sometimes my heart physically hurt wanting you to be here. I still remember it so vividly at times. You have filled that empty space with so much love now. I couldn’t have even imagined how wonderful you really would be, but you were worth the wait.

I hope you’ll always keep laughing, keep dancing, and just being who you are. You are one magical little girl.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Princess!

happy 7th birthday, kaya!

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Sweet Kaya Rose,

You are an incredibly precious gift to all of us. It was always hard for me to imagine being a mom before you were here, but even if I had tried to picture you, my first child, there is no way I could have known what a wonderful, beautiful little spirit you would be. You are so caring, loving, and the best helper a mother could ever want. I still get incredibly sentimental about your birthday and remembering the moment you made me a mom for the very first time.

Sometimes I still want to hold you and snuggle you like when you were a little baby. You love to be cuddled and held and give hugs and kisses all the time. You’re getting so tall (3 feet 11.5 inches!), but even if I have to look up to hug you one day, I’ll never stop seeing you as my little girl.

Homeschool is your favorite (not that we know anything different)! You always tell me you want to do homeschool forever. You are dedicated to doing our daily amount of work and always try your hardest. You’re really smart, but I think you’re especially gifted at language arts. You read so so well and it’s hard to find words you can’t figure out.

Calico Critters are your favorite toys, and you play with them almost all day long most days. You love them so much because you absolutely cherish the idea of families and being together, and the storylines you play usually involve them taking care of their babies, going on family trips, or playing in their yards. You set up their homes with precision each time you play, much like I used to with my own toys as a child.

Daddy is your rock. He knows how to calm you down when you get overwhelmed and talk you through your emotions. You really have a hard time when he has to go on trips because you miss him so very much.

You love order and routine. Our days run the most smoothly when you know what to expect, so I will always talk about the schedule with you in advance.

You are the best oldest sister and love helping your little sisters all the time. They sure do look up to you.

You still love your plush Kitty, or “Meowy”, and he goes everywhere with you all the time. You were surprised when I mentioned one day not long ago that if you went to public school, Meowy would have to stay home. That made you very sad. You are still our “crazy cat lady”, that’s for sure! I wish we could give you a real cat, but with your Dad and me being allergic, it wouldn’t work out so well.

You love animals so much in general. You ask to hold Freyja and Claire every time you see them and love giving them carrots and cucumbers as treats. You love to bring them outside so we can all sit in the grass and watch them eat.

You are one of the most empathetic people I’ve ever met. You cry reading a sad story or watching a movie where the characters are sad or in danger. We read a nonfiction piece about Daddy Longlegs last week, and you sobbed and sobbed when you found out that their legs don’t grow back if they come off. I love that you care so much.

You are athletic. I feel like it’s just a part of who you are- you love to move! You’ve watched me run all your life, so that’s what you’re most interested in now. You have run with me for about a mile or so, and I have to say, I think you’re really fast for a 7-year-old. You’ve done two official Kid Runs, and you’re so proud of your medals. You generally just love exercise, whether it’s going out on a walk (and you love to hold Scout’s leash), swinging across all the monkey bars, or riding your bike. You are so happy that we finally got you a big bike. Soon, we’ll have to teach you to ride without the training wheels.

You love giving and getting gifts; it’s most definitely one of your love languages. You bought me slippers for my birthday with your own allowance. Those are my favorite slippers ever, just because they are from you.

You love to take photos and you’re giving me some competition these days, especially at your sisters’ birthday parties. You love looking at your pictures and videos and reliving the memories that go with them.

You have lost basically one thousand teeth. OKAY, so SIX! Because I am a couple weeks late on this, I just have to clarify that one of them has fallen out between your birthday and now. The first two that were lost seemed to take their time, but these last four have come out in pairs. You have two big gaps in your smile, and the other new teeth are still coming in.

You are diligent in doing your chores each day. You love checking off your chore chart and telling me how many “tickets” (points) you earn at the end of the week. You’re an amazing clean-up helper, and because you know I love a tidy house so much, you often try to bribe me to let you stay up during rest time by telling me you’ll help do extra cleaning. Silly, but you know me well! Lately, you love saving up your tickets so you can buy Beanie Babies when we go to the craft store.

We still have a “nap time”, but it’s really turned into “rest time” for you.

You love coloring and drawing and make things every single day. You always surprise me with what you can come up with. Your writing has really taken off, and I love seeing what stories you create. It’s fun to get a little glimpse into your mind.

Kaya, you and I have something a little extra-special between us, and that’s how our brains work. We think in the same way. We’re both shy and sensitive, and we often struggle in social situations. It can be really hard for me to watch you face some of the same challenges I have had all my life, but I want you to know that you are stronger than you know. We might think a little differently, but along with that come some amazing talents and abilities. I love you so much, and I’m always here for you.

Love, Mommy

I also wanted to make a quick list of your favorite things, according to you:
Food: Spaghetti
Colors: Purple and pink
Book: Scrawny Cat
Show: Tumble Leaf
Movie: Jingle the Christmas Pup
Animals: Zebra and Horses
Toys: Bootsie (the cat) and Calico Critters
Outside Activity: Riding bikes
Place to go: Red Robin
What do you want to be when you grow up?: A builder and a veterinarian. Then, a mommy.
How many kids do you want to have?: 14
What makes you happy?: Snuggling with mama and reading Alice in Wonderland.

happy 1st birthday, eve faith!

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Eve Faith,

I don’t know how, but meeting you feels both like yesterday and forever ago all at once. Wasn’t it just moments ago that you were poking me in the ribs with those tiny toes of yours from the inside? How has a year gone by so fast?

We were so ready to see you for the first time, and holding you was simultaneously one of the biggest reliefs and greatest triumphs of my entire life. You have taught me so much about strength this year, baby girl.

I remember that peaceful morning you were born, when everything seemed perfect as the first sunlight poured through the windows. You are a little peace of Heaven.

You were loud and loved nursing from the moment you were born, and I’d say that still sums you up well. I cherish our snuggle time and adore that you love to be close to me. I know you won’t always fall asleep in my arms, so when you do, I breathe you in and take in all the tiny details.

You have a big personality crammed into that tiny body of yours, with feistiness, spunk, and big opinions all mixed together. You also give some of the best hugs and sweetest affection to your family. You ask for “Dadada” all the time and reach out to me with both arms. Your big grin hidden behind your pacifier each morning is one of my very favorite things.

Watching you grow is the greatest gift. We are so thankful you joined our family.

I love you Evie. HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!!!

Love, Mommy

happy 5th birthday, kaelyn!

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Dear Kaelyn,

My sweet, sweet girl… I can’t believe you are FIVE!!! Five whole years ago, you, the littlest of all my babies, were laid on my chest for the first time. As soon as they saw you, the nurses said, “What a little peanut!”, which was just perfect, because we had called you “Peanut” the entire time you grew in my belly. You are still so petite (or as I like to say, “fun size”), but every last ounce of you is filled with perfect sweetness.I always have a hard time writing these birthday posts, because sometimes, it feels so difficult capture the essence of who you really are at this age through just words. I’ll try my best, so here’s a little of what our days with you at 5 years old look like:

We still call you Kaecakes. Your old nickname of “Baba Grace” has officially been retired, but you are obsessed with your middle name so much that you have named many of your stuffed animals “Gracie”. Nella calls you “Yay yay” and sometimes I call you “KK“, so you actually have quite a few nicknames right now.

You are smart and silly. You say the funniest things all the time, and they usually seem to come out of nowhere. Your jokes are quiet, but well-thought out, and you always get us laughing. Now you’re starting to write funny things, too.

You have this kind of serenity about you. You are generally calm and gentle, although of course, you know how to be crazy, too. You just seem to have such a gentle spirit.

You are always the first one awake in the morning. You seem to need less sleep (just like your Daddy), although I do feel like you still need a short nap in the afternoons. That doesn’t always happen, though, mostly because you and Kaya love playing together so much that you forget to try to sleep.

You love doing puzzles and building with blocks. I think you could do that all day long and be perfectly happy.

You love all your stuffed animals and “teeny animals” (Hatchimals and Squinkies). You spend most of your time playing with them. Your very favorite stuffed animal this year has been your Dalmatian, but you also really love Penguin and Doggy (who I made you last year).

You have various pairs of shorts and pants, but your favorites are your flower leggings and pink stretchy pants. You’ll ask for them and look through the dryer for them before you’ll willingly wear anything from you dresser. Of course, your favorite pants are best paired with a Paw Patrol or Minnie Mouse shirt. You also really love to play dress-up!

You are turning into such a good artist, and I love seeing what creations you come up with. You love to draw butterflies, flowers, and all different pictures of you and me together on adventures. Those are my favorites.

Minnie Mouse is still your favorite character, and you talk about how you want to go to “Minnie’s Castle!” (Disney World) all the time. You’re also still obsessed with any kind of puppy, especially Dalmatians, and any of the pups from the Paw Patrol.

You are so diligent with your schoolwork. I can’t believe you’re going into Kindergarten! What’s even crazier is that you’re already through about half of your kindergarten curriculum. You love homeschool so much, and I am really enjoying being there to see you understand new concepts. You do math on your own for fun, and you keep going until you get tired. I really wouldn’t be surprised if you have some kind of science/programming/engineering job when you’re grown up.

You are possibly our pickiest eater so far, but you are obsessed with guacamole and pizza. You always ask me about what’s healthy, and you definitely try to eat what’s good for you.

Your favorite hairstyle right now is two braids, which you call “two side braids”. I feel like braids make you look so much older!

Your sisters are your world. Almost all day, every day, is spent playing with them.

You are also so proud of the fact that you have been a big sister twice! You remind me all the time about it. You love playing with and protecting Evie, and I know she loves you just as much.You always ask Daddy to sing you a song called “Goodnight Kaecakes” (a spinoff from the Daniel Tiger book) before you fall asleep each night.

One of the things you like to say (usually in a silly voice) is, “I LOVE MYSELF!” You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you embrace who you are and thrive. I hope that, as you grow, you will always see the good in who you are and recognize your divine potential.

We love you, sweet girl. Keep being yourself.

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY KAELYN!

Love, Mommy

 

happy 6th birthday, kaya!

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(written October 3rd)

Kaya Rose,

I cannot even believe you are six years old. SIX! Where has all that time gone, sweet girl? I’ve watched you grow from a baby, to a toddler, and now into a little lady. You seem grown up in so many ways, and although I know you’re still young, all I can think about how fast those six years have gone. Six more years from now, and you’ll be on the brink of the teen years and going to Young Women’s at church instead of Primary. Yet another six years, and you’ll be 18 and likely heading off to college. Knowing that we’re a third of the way to you being a real adult is almost mind-boggling. I know one day, I’m going to look back and feel like all this growing has happened in the blink of an eye.

But for now, you’re still just six. At this age, you still play all day long. Your stuffed animals are real to you, and they’re some of your best pretend friends. Yes, you still take your Kitty (“Meowy”) everywhere and need her in order to go to sleep each night. You still think dancing around like crazy with your mom is cool, and you love it when Daddy carries you around or picks you up. It’s easy to make your eyes light up and your smile beam with any kind of surprise or gift. You have a strong desire to do good and help others, as well as a childlike innocence that I hope you’ll keep forever.

We still limit television and media a lot, but when we do watch something, we’ve tried out some “new” things, so you have a lot of current favorites: Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger, Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, Blue’s Clues, and The Big Comfy Couch.

You love dancing around to music, whether it’s country (you have a slight obsession with Old Dominion), old 80s hits (like “Take On Me“), songs by Elmo, the Laurie Berkner Band, or the Mother Goose Club. You frequently try to play the piano, and you pretend to be the Primary Chorister at least a few times per week. You just love enjoying music together.

You are so creative, and your passion for making things is inspiring. On any typical day, you’ll write several short letter or notes and draw countless pictures. You love making videos and taking pictures with your camera, and I love seeing how you view the world. (“Our Family, May 2018)

You begged and begged to learn how to crochet, so Grandma Gina brought a round loom for you so you could make a baby hat. You had a little help, but completed the majority of it yourself in about three days.

Homeschool is your favorite. You are amazing at reading (and from what I can tell, you’re far above grade-level). You know what we need to do each day, and you’re diligent in getting your work done. You always tell me that you want to do homeschool forever, and while I can’t make any definite promises, I’d love to keep teaching you and having that extra time together for as long as we possibly can. It’s been especially fun since you learned how to write and spell commonly-used words. We find notes from you under our pillows all the time.

You are responsible. You complete your chores each week, and you almost always do it with a happy attitude. As the oldest of four girls, you often take on the role of a “little mommy”. You watch out for your sisters’ safety and compliance with the house rules, help them when they’re too little to do something, read books to them any chance you get, and even request to change their diapers. You help pack up our bags for church on Sunday mornings, feed Scout breakfast every day, and make sure that Eve is never crying. You are amazing at serving our family, and honestly, everyday life would be a lot harder without your help.

You still have nap/quiet time each day, but you typically won’t sleep for more than an hour any more, if at all. When you don’t sleep, you end up a little cranky for the rest of the day, so I feel like you still need that rest.

You’ve lost two of your baby teeth already.

You keep changing what you want to be when you grow up, but currently, it’s a veterinarian and a mommy. A girl after my own heart! You love animals of all kinds, so I could definitely see you having a job that involves them.

Your family (especially your sisters) are your whole world. They are so important to you, and they all look up to your example and admire you.

Spaghetti (with Grandma Debbie’s sauce recipe) is still your favorite food.

We still call you your nickname, “Peeky”, sometimes.

You’re quiet and reserved in public, but at home, you talk and ask questions all day long. You are a sweet and sensitive soul who requires great gentleness and understanding. This also makes you extremely caring and loving, especially when it comes to helping your sisters. They will often look to you for a hug, kiss, or cuddle when they get hurt or feel sad.

You and I understand each other. We think in much the same way and thrive on routine. Our love language is giving and receiving gifts, so we often love surprising each other.

You’ve really bonded with your Primary teachers (especially those who you had for Sunbeams), Sister G. and Sister H. You hug them every week, and you like Sister G. so much that you even chose to sit with her instead of us one day. She might be the only person you’d leave our side for besides your Grandparents.

Kaya, you have taught me so much in your short six years. You’ve shown me what unconditional love is, and how to freely give it to others. As I continue learning the best way to parent, you’ve given me forgiveness, and proven that one does not need to be perfect to deserve love.We love you so much, Kaya!

happy 4th birthday, kaelyn!

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Dear Kaelyn,

I’m writing this on your birthday eve, filled with so many powerful emotions as I remember all the details of the hours leading up to your birth. I can’t even believe that you have been here in our family for FOUR whole years, and I can honestly say that we’ve enjoyed each moment with you.
In a way, you still seem so little to me, until I look back at pictures from last year. You’ve always been a cute kid, but you recently seem to have this more grown-up, elegant sense of beauty about you. I still don’t know who you resemble most in the family, but I love your shining eyes, scrunchy-nosed grin, ever-growing pigtails, and quiet little laugh so much.

You are such a comedian, but you generally make quiet jokes without doing anything too wild or outlandish. Your silly little antics make us laugh every day.

You’re generally very content to “do your own thing” and keep yourself entertained with books, puzzles, or little stories or games you make up yourself. You are still an ultimate puzzle-doer and amaze me with how many small pieces you can put together without any guidance.

You completed another year of homeschool preschool, which was extremely laid back and based off your interests. You’ve learned your letters, can write your name, and even spell some other words, like “yes” and “no”. You love any project that involves paint, scissors, or glue. I’ve slowly started teaching you to read, and you’re getting good at sounding out short letter combinations. You also love BOB books and try to “read” them to us all the time, although you get a little grumpy if we help you too much. You watch everything Kaya does, which is a big reason you’ve picked up on so much so quickly.

You completely surprised me one day when you just started writing letters and asking me how to spell things.

You are also such a great little artist, and you most often draw pictures of you and me together. I love when you leave notes under my pillow for me to find.

Every once in a while, we sometimes still call you “Baba Grace”, but a lot less often than we used to. Your main nickname nowadays is “Kaecakes”, which you also love. You do sometimes think that your full name is “Kaelyn Baba Grace Irwin”, though.

You are all about dogs, and although you rotate who your favorite stuffed animal is, it’s almost always been a canine. “Doggy” (who I made for you) is still your current favorite, and she goes everywhere. You also really love Dalmatians and Paw Patrol, of course.

You are an amazing big sister. You watch out for Nella, and you truly always do whatever is in your power to make her happy. Sometimes that means sharing your baby doll with her, letting her have something that you’re playing with, trying to make her laugh, or giving her some of your snacks. You are our little peacemaker.

You love babies and have been looking forward to meeting your newest sister for the longest time. You always tell us, “It’s almost my birthday… and then we get to see the baby!!!” (There are not enough exclamation points for how excitedly you squeal when you say that sentence!) You cannot wait to be a big sister again, and I know you’re going to help take care of the baby as much as you can.

You love going to Primary at church, and your teachers always tell me what an angel you are in class and how reverent you are.

People often comment on your “adorable little voice”. The way you talk is so sweet, and I almost wish it’d never change, but I know one day your voice will grow with you. There’s no way to really describe it except to just listen to you talk.

You love to tell me, “We are buddies!” when we have anything at all in common (oftentimes, it’s when we’re both having the same food for lunch). I love being buddies with you.

You want to be a pediatric nurse when you grow up. You’ve told me a few times that you’ll need to get a new outfit, though, because you don’t think this one will fit when you’re bigger. You also said, “I want to give them their flu shot because that’s how people be healthy!” You also really want to be a mommy, and be my neighbor when you’re old enough to have your own house.You still really need an afternoon nap of about 1.5 to 2 hours, but you usually would rather read, play in your room, or climb up into Kaya’s bunk and goof off with her. If you don’t sleep, you are usually incredibly tired by dinnertime.Just like last year, you’re still obsessed with blueberry everything, the song “Dirt On My Boots”, and Paw Patrol. You planned on having a Paw Patrol birthday for at least a year and counted down for months leading up to it.Other favorite things include pizza, Minnie Mouse, playing outside, wearing your mint jeans, and the colors pink, purple, and blue.Your Daddy, sisters, and I love you so much, sweet girl. We feel so blessed to have you as our second precious daughter, and we know you’re going to grow up to do amazing things. Happy 4th Birthday Kaelyn!!!

happy 1st birthday, nella joy!

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Nella Joy, you are ONE! It felt like we waited for you for so long, and then your first year flew by in a flash. Time passing by at this rate feels a little unfair, but we are so grateful for you and all the wonderful moments we’ve shared together.

I knew what your first name would be before we found out we were having a third sweet baby girl. Nella means “shining light”, and I love how perfectly that fits you. You have been a gift and an example of love and happiness to our family from the very beginning. Right up until your birth, we debated between using “Faith” or “Joy” as your middle name. Now, it seems absolutely obvious that “Joy” was made for you, because you have so much of it and share it with anyone you meet.Your Daddy loves you so much. You dance together and come looking for me, peeking around all the corners of our home until you see me, and then your eyes light up. Your family is your favorite thing.On your birthday eve, I tickled you and blew raspberries on your bare tummy and soaked in all your giggles. It’s so easy to make you laugh, and I love how your laughter brings true happiness to everyone around you.

You’ve taught me to look for the good in this world, to see the bright side of things, and to keep on smiling. I love you so much, Nellbells. Thank you for coming to our little family.

Love, Mommy

happy 5th birthday, kaya!

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Dear Kaya,

I’m writing this on your birthday eve, and I’m feeling all sorts of emotions over the fact that in a few hours, you will be FIVE years old! I have no idea how that much time has already passed. Today, I told you a little bit about your birth story (now that you’re a little older and can understand), and how excited we were to have you come to our family. Of course, I also needed to write this letter to tell you a little bit about what you’re like at this age.You are so smart. Homeschool is your favorite thing ever, and according to you, it’s because, “I get to stay home with you! I would miss you if I went to real school”. You are already reading (and comprehending) sentences, and I’m so proud of you and all your hard work. We’re about three quarters of the way through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons now, and you continue to surprise me with how fast you learn. We’re also halfway through your kindergarten math program, and you are loving that as well. I’m so grateful that you enjoy learning and working hard.

You are my big helper. You help me watch over your little sisters, and you’re always doing things to make daily life a little easier. You love to dress Nella, help water my flowers, and vacuum. You hang the cloth diapers up to dry when they’re done washing, and usually, you tell me you help out “because I love you!” I love that you already see a connection between serving others and loving them.

Because you’re the oldest, you are the ring leader. You come up with some elaborate pretend-play scenarios, and help Kaelyn form her character roles in them. You have the ability to get everyone completely hyped up and crazy, too.

Dancing and singing are two of your favorite things to do. Your current favorite “kid music” includes the Frozen soundtrack, the Laurie Berkner band (especially “The Goldfish”), and songs from Daniel Tiger. You also really like country music and are a big fan of Old Dominion right now.

I hardly let you watch any television, but your current favorite show is Blues Clues.

You and I are still very much alike, and I don’t think that will change anytime soon. We have a lot of the same little quirks, and in a way, it makes it so easy for me to understand how you’re feeling and know the thought processes you go through. Sometimes, I think having so much in common can make it so that you and I frustrate each other a little, but in the end, we both know we share some special qualities, and I think that as you get older, those things will help us to stay close to each other.

Kitties are still your very favorite thing in the whole world. That same old raggedy Kitty stuffed animal still goes everywhere with us, and he’s still a pretty integral part of many of your pretend-play scenarios. You especially need him when you’re feeling sad or tired, and when you hold him as you fall asleep, you stroke his tail with your finger to soothe yourself.

Other favorite kitties include Hello Kitty and any rainbow-colored cats.

You love creatures of all kinds, no matter how small, and are even enthralled by various insects (unless they’re flying near you, then, you scream). You have such a tender heart and truly care for anything living. We’ve planted seeds that grew into plants that ended up dying, and you cried. You very much love taking care of things.

You think you don’t need a nap anymore, but you still have some quiet time in your room each afternoon. You probably still end up falling asleep about twice a week on average.

I’m really proud of you for your desire to eat healthy so you can grow “big and strong”. Your typical lunch includes half of a PB&J, a Greek yogurt (Key Lime flavor is your favorite),  and a small salad. You also love broccoli, spaghetti with homemade sauce, and my whole-wheat chocolate chip muffins.

The beach is your favorite place to go, and you were so happy when we told you we were going this past summer. You loved every moment of it this year.

You are an artist. You love to draw, write, send “letters” to people (real and fictitious individuals), paint, cut, glue… all of it! I love your need to create.

The rainbow obsession is still going strong. Very strong.

You’re also obsessed with babies. You pretend to have at least one baby every day, so by now, you’d surely be a mother to hundreds of imaginary kids. You want to be a mommy when you grow up, and I certainly look forward to seeing you with your real children. Don’t ever doubt that you were made to be a mother, Kaya.

You also tell me that you want to be a runner when you grow up, just like Mommy. When we’re out on a walk and you start jogging, you always tell me, “I’m getting my exercise!” You also love to run pretend “races” around the house.

You pretend to take photos with your imaginary camera all the time. You put your hands over your eyes, in kind of a triangle shape, and then you move the top point of your fingers up and down as if you’re clicking the shutter. I love it.

You love singing church songs, and going to Primary on Sunday is one of your very favorite things. I love how much you already love the gospel.

Family is so important to you. You have such a deep, innate love for not only your immediate family, but also your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Still, deep down, you are a daddy’s girl through and through. When he’s home, he’s who you want to hang out with and have help you with anything you need.

You love to have your picture taken, and I love having someone so willing to pose for pictures.We love you so much, Peeky. Thank you for making us parents.

Love, Mommy

happy 3rd birthday, kaelyn!

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Dear Kaelyn,

I cannot believe you are three years old! I can remember the moment we met so clearly, that in a way, it feels like yesterday. I still get choked up thinking about when I saw the tiny features of your face for the first time, and remembering how I was overcome with the distinct feeling that you were meant to be ours.

Now, I look at those steel blue eyes of yours, usually accompanied by a sly grin, and I can’t help but laugh. You are so completely silly, but in a generally calm, quiet way. You love to say things that don’t make sense just to make us all giggle.

You have blossomed from being the baby of the family into the astounding big sister you are now. You look at Nella and say “my baby”, or “my sit-sta (sister)” as you embrace her and talk to her in the sweetest little voice that you only use with babies.

Your toddlerhood has been very calm. You very rarely throw a tantrum or have mood swings. If I had to pick just two words to describe you, they’d be sweet and spunky.

Your favorite stuffed animals are your pink Piggy, your dog Cinnamon, and your beanie baby bear, Candy (who was named by you because he reminds you of those Valentine’s sweetheart candies).You take care of all of them as if they are your babies, and I love how gentle and loving you are as you tend to them.

You are still completely obsessed with “bluey” (blue).

Your sentences have improved dramatically over the last two months or so. You say most everything very clearly, with accurate pronunciation, so I think even people who don’t know you well would be able to understand you. You still use “me” instead of “I” as a subject, but it’s so cute that I almost wish you’d never realize it’s wrong.

You love art. You color inside the lines in your coloring books and use paint very carefully. You’ve even started drawing people, which are mostly round circles with little specks inside them.

You are so sensitive when it comes to friends and family. If we read you a book (like Little Cub by Olivier Dunrea) where the main character is alone, you actually start to cry for him. You also cried for the horse, Spirit, from the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, when he was separated from his family and couldn’t get back. I love how family is already so important to you at this young age.

Your very favorite book is BooBoo (Gossie & Friends) by Olivier Dunrea. You giggle when Daddy reads it “wrong” on purpose. He’ll say, “BooBoo is a small yellow gosling…”, and you’ll laugh while correcting him, “No… BooBoo is a small BLUE gosling!”

You are a problem solver, like your daddy. You love to do puzzles and figure things out, but you’re also great at solving real-life problems. If you and Kaya are arguing over the same item, and you see it’s creating a difficult situation, you will often just let Kaya have whatever the item is and then move on, even if it’s something you really want. It’s not that you’re giving up the fight; I think you are really good at assessing situations and seeing the bigger picture.

You have an incredible attention span for your age, as well as excellent fine motor skills. You nearly completed an entire perler-bead puppy in one afternoon, which takes a lot of focus and precision for someone so little. You finished it as soon as you had the chance the next morning. I was so proud of you for doing it all on your own!

If we ask you what your name is, you always say, “Baba Grace!” Daddy has also brought back one of the nicknames we used to call you when you were a baby, “Kaecakes”, and you seem to like that one, too.

You have done preschool with Kaya for the past couple of years, just on your own terms. I’ve never required you to work on writing, reading, or math, but you’re already starting to try by yourself. You can spell your nickname (“B-A-B-A, Baba!”), and you’ve started trying to memorize the letter sounds. Anytime you see an “m” you say, “mmmm mmmm!” You can count correctly to eleven all on your own. You’re so excited to “officially” start “preschool… at home!” here soon.

Anytime you and I are eating the same thing or doing the same activity, you say we’re “buddies!” If we both have a cucumber, we’re “cucumber buddies!” Haha.

I still put you down for a nap every day, but you often would rather sit up in your bed, looking at books, doing a small puzzle, or drawing. You stay awake as long as you can, even though you really are tired and in need of some rest.

Blueberry is your favorite flavor of everything. You’d eat a blueberry yogurt for lunch every day if we had an endless stockpile. You’re so excited to go blueberry picking this summer, and I’m sure you’re going to have a hard time not eating all of them as we go.

Your favorite song is “Dirt on My Boots”, by Jon Pardi. Any time it comes on the radio, you start rocking back and forth if we’re in the car, and galloping across the floor if we’re at home. You call it “my boots song!” You say you like it because it “has cowboys” (and it does, in the lyric music video).

You love chapstick and lipgloss and will never turn me down when I offer to put some on you. I save my nearly-empty chapstick tubes for you to finish off so that you won’t play with my real ones, because you love to roll them up until they break!

Sometimes, when Daddy is tucking Kaya in at night, I sneak into your bed and snuggle with you. You like to throw your little arms around my neck and say “Stay with me forever!”, and sometimes I wish I could.

You are really becoming a sweet little friend of mine. You love to hear stories about when you were a baby, and I love to tell you all about how excited we were to know you were joining our family.I love you so much, Kaelyn Grace. Happy 3rd birthday, baby girl!

happy 4th birthday, kaya!

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Dear Kaya,

It’s hard to believe that four years have already passed since I first held you in my arms. You were our first little miracle, and each day, I am still filled with gratitude and wonder that your care has been entrusted to us._mg_5170

You are a nurturer. Compassion comes naturally to you, whether it’s for a baby, a plant, an animal, or anyone who is hurt or upset. You are always playing with your baby doll, or pretending that Kaelyn is your real baby, and you need to take care of her. Sometimes, in the mornings now, you even help your little sister get dressed and ready for the day. I’m so appreciative of your willingness to contribute to our family.

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You are a protector. You always watch out for Kaelyn, making sure she isn’t doing anything unsafe or breaking any house rules.

You are an innate learner. Over this past year, we’ve been doing “homeschool preschool”, and you relish nearly every moment of it. You beg me to “do school” almost every day (we try to do it at least three times per week), and you are excellent at copying letters and telling me their phonetic sounds. I think you are actually ready to start learning to read, and I’m excited to help teach you and see you discover the literary world._mg_4436

You love to give gifts and surprise people. Oftentimes, you’ll “write” notes to each of us, tape them closed, and hide them so we can find them later. Anytime we have a special treat for Daddy or made something especially neat in preschool, you excitedly tell him to close his eyes and run toward him with whatever the object is. Of course, you find immense joy in receiving surprises yourself.

You are a helper. You’ll help Daddy with just about anything he asks of you, and you especially enjoy helping me make everyone’s lunches or with baking._mg_4425

Music is one of your very favorite things. You love singing time in Primary at church, and you frequently pretend to be your music teacher. You love doing family home evening just so we can sing songs together.

You love to cut, glue, paint and create art._mg_4586

You love to play games. Candy Land, Trouble, Connect Four, and a modified version of Blokus are your favorites.

You are silly, sweet, and shy. Many people tell me that they didn’t even realize you can talk because you are very quiet (and well-behaved) when we’re out in public.

Kitty (or “Meowy”, as you call him most of the time), is still your very favorite. He had to have a few “stitches” and be restuffed a few months ago, and I think now that he’s more “fluffle-y” (as you say), you love him more than ever. You are also still obsessed with your purple cat blankie._mg_4413

Believe it or not, you still take a nap every afternoon. I’m sure that some of the time is spent playing quietly in your room, but usually, I can expect about 2.5 hours of near silence each day.

These past few months have been some of the most exciting for you as you’ve watched my belly grow and anticipated the arrival of your baby sister. These days, she is almost all you can talk about. Through my morning sickness and other ailments, you were always there, checking on me, tucking me in with blankets, snuggling me, and just making sure that I was okay. You tell me that you want to be a mommy yourself someday, and I know that you will fill that role perfectly.IMG_20160619_124616

Kaya, I love you more than I can say. There are probably a million more things I could write about you, but I’ve tried to capture the biggest parts of your personality so that we will always remember what you were like at this age. Time is going by so quickly, and honestly, I wish I could slow down these days so we could have more of them, just as we both are right now.

Love, Mommy