A. James, little bird---
Tomorrow we will celebrate your 3rd birthday. We will celebrate three years you’ve been in our lives, although it is difficult to remember what life was like without here. You are not a baby anymore—although you will still be my baby when you are have your own family and I am old woman.
You are now a little girl. You’ve lost your baby face and I can only see slight resemblances to your baby pictures. You are a funny girl. You are a clever girl. You are a compassionate and loving girl. You are everything I had hoped you to be and much more I could never have imagined.
It is hard for a Mama to watch her little girl grow up. It is bittersweet. I love watching you learn and discover. It shocks me to hear you say words that are reserved for “big girls” and use them correctly in sentences. You sleep in your own bed, in your own room. You no longer wear diapers or need my assistance doing as much. You are becoming more independent and want to be alone with your friends. I am proud to see you so brave and self assured. Your drawings are recognizable and it is amazing to see how they’ve evolved from tiny little scribbles into people, horses, mermaids---and other things you love. You can even write your name now!
It has been a joy to have watched you change from the tiny little baby into the girl you are today. I am so thankful to your father who has worked so hard so that I can stay home to have this rare opportunity to nurture you and watch you develop into the woman you will someday (sooner than I think) be.
Until then I will try to remind myself that children grow faster than we'd like and take the time to cuddle you when you want to be cuddled, read to you when you want to be read to, hold you when you want to be held, kiss you when you want to be kissed-----all because I know that the day will come when I’ll have to set my little bird free.
Then you'll not want me to hold you as often, you’ll be able to read books without my help and you’ll be “too big” to have your mother kiss you or cuddle you at night.
Happy Birthday my little girl.
Love,
Mama
*This book always makes me cry.
Happy Birthday to your little girl, mine is almost three . . . I am not sure where the time has gone.
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