Dear Riya-Ray, Happy 6th Birthday!

Good morrow fair maiden

There’s something special happening this morning, but I suspect that you might know that already.  I mean, we’ve only been counting down to your birthday for the last 14 sleeps so it’s not like it’s completely snuck up on us.  So without further ado, let’s take a moment to take it all in shall we?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIYA-RAY!  Today you are the big SIX!  It’s finally happened.

My littlest girl, you are not so little anymore.  In fact, I am constantly floored by how your mind works.  Just the other day we were sitting around the table and you asked me something so profound and old that I had to do a double take.  Obviously I can’t think of exactly what it was because I am actually old and thus rather forgetful, but if you were here next to me I’m sure you’d remember it – you have this knack for remembering everything.  Especially promises I make about eating sweet treats – those are NEVER forgotten.

What a year you’ve had this past revolution around the sun.  It’s been full of ups and downs but mostly it’s been full of love.  You are the most loving little girl I know – everyone always tells me how sweet you are with their kids.  Always hugging them, helping them, supporting them or just being super friendly.  And sharing?  It’s your vibe.  I think you know how to make other people happy even if it means that you go without.  It’s something that I hope that you will never change even as the World shows you how cruel it can be.  Gosh that sounds dramatic, but girl, people are weird and they take advantage of good people.  But I know you can stand your ground when you have to – just remember how much you hate your vegetables and channel that into holding your own.  You got this.

It’s also been a year of growth.  For you and for me.  We’ve both learned how to deal with all the crazy emotions that come with growing up and I’m so proud of how far you’ve come.  It’s a good thing that we learn how to deal with it now, because this is just the tip of the crazy emotional iceberg – let’s chat again at 13 and see where we’re at.

There is something so wildly surreal about watching you grow up.  You’ve morphed from a tiny little chuba-luba who needed everything done for her, to being the first person to get up every morning.  Literally, you open your eyes and within minutes you are fully dressed, standing in the kitchen and making your siblings breakfast.  You are still out to get things done yourself – from literally crawling out my tummy all on your own to buttering your own toast to, well, everything really – you never want me to do anything for you.  It’s quite bitter-sweet actually.

My girl, there is so much that I could say on how I feel about you getting older.  A lot of it will be soppy, tear-jerking stuff, like how I struggle to remember lots of things, but I will never forget how it felt to cradle you in my arms that first day in the hospital – or many nights thereafter.  What it felt like to often be the only person that could stop you from crying (still the case).  How remarkable it is that it seems like you change everyday, all of that roundness that is slowly dropping off you as you morph from a baby into a little girl.

Mourning the loss of you as my “baby” girl is probably the hardest when I see you holding other little babies.  Besides the fact that you’re old enough to hold them properly, seeing the tender look in your eyes is a slap right in the feels.  It’s how I used to cuddle you, and I can’t do that anymore, you just don’t fit into my arms like that – you’re all long limbs and giggly girlness now.

But as much as I miss you being little, I’m so enjoying you getting big!  All our lengthy chats about life and how things work, why certain things happen and how it makes us feel – you will won’t really understand how much I value those times until you have your own precious bundle placed in your arms.  Let’s not rush into that though, okay?  I want to be a Granny for sure, but I’ll have to talk Daddy into lowering his gun first.  Should we start counting down the sleeps for that now?  It’ll be when you’re around 35.  Nah, let’s wait a couple year before we start counting.

All things thought and considered, there are not enough words to explain how privileged I am to be your Mom and how much I’m looking forward to getting to know you more and more as the years fly by.

I love you my precious sweet girl.

xx

Mom