Happy Birthday, Baby Girl

Dear Aubrey,
It is with a mixture of both pride and sadness that I write this letter to you. The past year has flown by in a blur. It seems like only yesterday that I was trying my best to "will" you not to be born until after your sister's third birthday had passed. Well, as usual, you cooperated, and allowed your sister to have her moment in the spotlight. You even allowed her a buffer of five days before officially arriving.

There are so many things I want to remember about you and your babyhood. Things that are a part of everyday life right now, but that someday will be precious nuggets of long forgotten memories. These are the things that I just don't want to forget...

You are (for the most part) easy going and laid back. You are happy to hug the sidelines and watch the action and drama unfold before you. You do not demand attention, but are happy to get it. You are easy to make smile, and your big sister can make you light up like no other. You adore her.

You can also get good and fired up when you feel like it. It takes an awful lot to upset you, but when you work yourself up, you make it known how mad you are. You flap your hands, turn red, and release an ear piercing shriek. We try not to laugh when it happens, because that just upsets you more, but sometimes we can't help ourselves. :) Either way, it's an attention grabber for sure!

You have a great sense of humor. You're a bit of a goofball, like your daddy. You enjoy playing peekaboo with your lovey, and you literally squeal with delight when you think something is funny. When you smile, you squint your eyes nearly closed, crinkle your nose up, and even produce some nasal sounds, as though you're laughing through your nose. It's hilarious.

Your tiny features make me melt. Your baby roundness has just a bit of delicacy to it. You have such long, thin fingers and toes. I envision someday that you'll play piano, or golf, or do something else equally as graceful. For now, you toddle around on little stick legs, and wave thin arms at us, all of which spring from your round little belly. You are an irresistible little string bean.

You have the best hair in town. You may in fact hold the record for the most (4!) haircuts before one's first birthday. You easily sport hair bows, rubber bands, pigtails and braids, all while the bald babies look on with envy. You also love hats. Especially baseball hats. Especially your Daddy's baseball hats, preferably worn backwards. :)

You love to dance, bounce, jiggle, and shake. If it involves flying through the air, you're all for it. You've got a bit of a daredevil streak, which quite honestly, I both fear and admire at the same time. There is no doubt that you get this trait from your father, and I desperately hope that you got a bit of my hesitancy as well to balance it out.

You smell good. No matter how grubby you get from rubbing dinner in your hair, or crawling around on the floor all day, I can still bury my nose in your neck and get a good whiff of sweet baby scent. It's an indescribable mixture of Johnson's baby wash, Dreft detergent, and good old fashioned baby smell. It's intoxicating, and I know that someday soon it will be gone.

Sometimes I feel guilty for not being able to spend the kind of time with you in your infancy that I did with Camryn. It has been a challenge to spread my attention equally between the two of you, but you don't seem to mind. As long as you get to tag along, you are just happy to enjoy the ride. Your easygoing nature is such a joy to experience.

You have so many quirks and traits that make you unique and special, and your Daddy, your sister and I love you so very much. You have completed our family, and I look forward happily to many years of watching you grow, learn and change before our very eyes. I have faith that you will make us all very proud.

So Happy Birthday, my sweet baby girl. I love you.
Love,
Mommy