Family: Happy 5th Birthday Sweet Ryen

You hear a cry. You hold your breath. Your mind races. Is she healthy? Is she ok? What does she look like? How big is she? Does she have hair like her sister? Then you feel the crushing weight of them as they are laid on your chest. Not their body weight. The crushing weight of the love you feel for this little being from the moment she takes her first breaths. You take your baby home and then during a few sleepless nights, when you think the exhausting baby phase will last forever and you will never sleep again, you do it... you close your eyes. Maybe it is just a nap, maybe it is just a blink of your eye, but when you open them again, your baby is 5. And your baby is no baby anymore.

You are a grade schooler! A Kindergartner. How did this happen? I don't know where the time went, but what I do know is, I thought I couldn't love you more than I did the moment I first laid eyes on you, but I was wrong. Years of memories, of laughter, of hugs and kisses, of seeing your sweet personality develop, of discovering the nature of your soul hidden inside of you, of having your heart revealed to me, has made me love you more and more every day. And as my little mini me turns 5 I have prepared for you, like I do every year, your birthday ABCs. Here they are my sweet Ryen. I love you to the moon and back.

A- adorable
B- bad joke teller (haha)
C- charming
D- delicious
E- easy going
F- funny
G- generous
H- happy
I- immature
J- jealous
K- kind
L- likable
M- Momma's girl!!!
N- not listening lately (hello 5!!)
O- original
P- playful
Q- quirky
R- reserved
S- sensational
T- tiny
U- unique
V- vibrant
W- warm hearted
X- xtra careful (cheated on that one)
Y- young
Z- zazzy

PS: I am so grateful you are in no rush to grow up my love. I melt inside every time you say "Mommy I don't want to get bigger, I want to stay little forever" I want the same my love. I truly do...