She's Five

To my Makayla -

From ONE...

To TWO...

To THREE... 

To FOUR... 

and now FIVE!! 

Five years old!!

It all kind of felt like a dream to me...is my baby girl really turning 5 already?!

but after celebrating for a week, it's now become a reality.

A reality that makes me smile...that makes my heart content.

To celebrate your 5th birthday, 
we started off by getting your ears pierced!
(and you didn't even cry!)

You look beautiful and so grown up with your earrings...

 but I'm definitely going to miss your clip-ons!!

You got to have a girl's day/night with Grandma Allen!

You took a river boat ride on The Spirit of Peoria (where you ate a milky way and drank a pepsi), went shopping for a birthday present (where you picked out a baby doll), and then you went back to grandma's house for a slumber party (where you whooped her butt in the game of Memory).  

You were spoiled.

We had a birthday dinner at your favorite mexican restaurant where they threw a sombrero on your head, sang Happy Birthday to you, and served you us fried ice cream.  They love you and have loved you since day 1, where they (the mexican restaurant) sent me a dinner in the hospital the night I gave birth to you.

You were completely embarrassed and tried to hide behind the table while they sang to you so the only picture we could capture was one with only the tip of your sombrero!

And, finally, we had a pizza party with friends from your preschool class.  

It was so fun to meet and watch you play with some of your new friends that you've made over the past couple of weeks!

Oooh, Makayla! - I've had an amazing five years with you!!...and I could get all mushy and gushy right now, but I won't.  Especially when I ask you questions like what your favorite thing was about being 4 was and you answer me with "loving you"...you saying things like THAT can really make me all kinds of emotional, 

but...

You're too happy.
You're too excited.

You keep asking me how big you look.

You feel like a "grown up".

You keep taking Mia's hands and saying "Look, Mia.  I'm five, now!".

You have a skip in your walk.

You can't take the smile off of your face.

It's been too much fun watching you turn five!

...and I don't want to take away from the excitement and joy by wading in tears of sadness that

my.baby.girl.is.growing.up.

...

So, all I am going to say tonight is -

You, Makayla Ann, are my heart and soul.

...and I'm so thankful that I get to spend my life with you.

here's to everything you are and all that you have yet to be

I Love You

xoxo

Mommy