Happy 6th Birthday Katie!

Today, this amazing girl turns six.  She spent the first four birthdays alone.  

Never again.

Thank you to my sweet friend Jen for taking this photo!

I will never know what she was like as a baby.  I don't know if she was fussy, or if she was a good eater.  I didn't get to rock her to sleep or get up with her to comfort her at night.  I never smelled her sweet baby breath or made an impression of her tiny baby foot.  I didn't pick out little tiny dresses and sweet little newborn gowns for her.  I didn't hear her first cry, see her first smile, help her sit up for the first time, watch her crawl, hear her big baby belly laughs, or see her take her first steps.  I have only a single photo of her from when she was a baby.  One.  I'm so thankful to have that.  

Our boys love for me to tell them stories about what they were like when they were babies.  I have none of those for Katie.  But she has a bigger story.  When I snuggle Katie in bed at night and we read books, when we're done with our stories I get to tell Katie a bigger story.  I tell her about her first mom and dad who were young and so excited to have a sweet baby.  I tell her about how they likely didn't know if they were having a little boy or a little girl, but how nervous and happy I think they were.  I tell her about how that mom and dad were probably very scared when their baby was born a few weeks too early.  And then I tell her that the mom and dad had to make a very brave, incredibly hard choice.  I get to tell her that those scared young people loved her so much, they had to let someone else take care of her for a little while, until her daddy and I could get to her.  It took us a while.  Longer than she probably wishes.  But I tell her how brave she was, and how proud I am of what a big girl she is.  And then I tell her the most important part. . . how amazingly lucky I am to be her mama forever.  I tell her how proud I am of her.  And I tell her how much she is loved by every single person who knows her.  I tell her she will never, ever be alone again, and that we are so happy we finally found her.  

At six years old, my girl is amazing.  She is smart and silly.  She is sassy and funny.  She is snuggly and sweet.  She is creative and witty.  She is kind and friendly.  She is tenacious and energetic.  She is happy and stubborn.  She loves dogs, Spongebob, reading books, eating hot dogs, jumping on the trampoline, swimming in the pool, swinging, taking a bath, going to school, singing, dancing, pushing her baby stroller, piggybacks from Henry, coloring, and her beloved iPad.  She is so very, very loved.

Happy 6th Birthday my sweet little Katie!