Turning the Big 5!

This is my beautiful little Jelly, who just isn't so little anymore.  Today is a very special day.  It is her 5th birthday.

Five is a monumental birthday.  For me, it's the pathway between baby and child.  For four years, I've held on to the thought that I still had a baby girl that needed me for everything.  No matter how big or small, Momma was always there to get it done.

Now?  She dresses herself, ties her own shoes, fixes her own drinks, writes her name, writes tons of stuff, counts, adds, and all kinds of other stuff that babies just don't do.  She's even got her first loose tooth that we will soon be dealing with.  

It amazes me that just five short years ago, this is how I looked just days before giving birth...

 And then, after a pretty easy labor, this is what I saw...

I held that beautiful bundle in my arms, knowing that it would be the last time I went through it.  The last time I would give birth, hold my own newborn baby in my arms.  And I cherished every moment of it.

But how quickly those moments pass.  Before I knew it, my little bundle of newborn was a stumbling one year old...

She took to walking pretty quickly, and would tear around the house like it was a Nascar Racetrack.  The second year meant new discoveries and abilities.  Gone were the days of smearing food all over her face before she ate, and the dreaded potty training days.  And by her 2nd birthday, she was on her way to be the self sufficient little darling she is today...

Her curiosity, and the expressions on her face when she discovered something were hilarious.  The two year old years were her first to experience being left with someone other than me while I went to work.  She started finding an interest in drawing and coloring.  She started discovering the magic of Christmas.  And by the time she turned 3, she was talking up a storm and hated wearing clothes...

I don't know what it was with her and clothes.  In fact, it's still something we still fight with.  The minute she steps foot in the house, she's stripping off clothes.  I guess she's just like me, in a way.  Except for the fact that she apparently hasn't realized that as I strip off my clothes - I replace them with pajamas.

Leading up to her 4th birthday, her toddler years were pretty much behind her.  Her independence came out with a vengeance.  She was determined to start learning anything and everything she could.  She could and would spend hours watching SpongeBob and Dora.  Not that she learned much from SpongeBob except that he lived in a pineapple under the sea... but it was quite common for me to walk in to the living room after an episode of Dora and be greeted by her saying "Hola!"  She developed quite the personality, and everyone that she met loved her...

This past year has been amazing.  I've got to spend so much time with her exploring and learning.  She now knows how to write her name, various words, and all of her letters.  Instead of sitting in front of the TV, she'd much rather sit with her Magna Doodle and write and draw.  She wants me to read to her.  She likes making up her own stories to pictures in books.  I truly feel that if any of my children are going to follow in my footsteps in to the world of education, it's going to be Jelly.

I told her yesterday that no matter how old she gets, she will always be my baby.  She found that rather amusing when she asked me if I'd still snuggle on the couch with her when she's 30.  I told her that despite what her brother and sister tell her, she's never too old to snuggle.  

Happy birthday, Jelly!  Momma loves you so much.  You are so smart, beautiful, and loving.  No matter how much you grow, never change that spark of curiosity you have... never let go of your independence... you are my baby girl forever and always.

P.S.  She just woke up.  Here's the first few sentences out of her mouth...

Jelly - Now that I'm 5, can I learn how to read?

Me - Sure you can

Jelly - OK, let me go get a book

Wow!  Not what one would expect to hear from their 5 year old on their birthday... but I'm not surprised at all.