{'cause it's my birthday}

So I'm two days late, but be assured I didn't miss a moment of my baby girl's FOURTH birthday. Yes, FOURTH. I almost choke every time I have to say how old she is. For heaven's sake, didn't I just bring that child home? Oh, but it would be hard to forget Addy's baby years, as she hardly slept so we had plenty of time to bond. While my little Addy has always been a bit of a challenge, it's in that challenge that we have found the deepest love possible for our little blond headed bomb shell. She's the one who will wear the same outfit multiple days - no weeks - in a row just because she wants to see how long she can go before I'm completely irritated. Currently, she's trying to see how many days she can wear her rain boots - even though it's completely sunny outside. They go with everything, you know. She's the one who refuses to follow the crowd because there isn't any fun in that. In fact, she'll see what everyone else is eating at lunch - and then choose something totally different. She's not a people pleaser - she really could care very little about whether you like her or not. But if you win her love, oh, you'll never want to let it go. She has the most beautiful laugh - one that, even if I've absolutely had it with her, I can't help but join in. It's like music that you want to replay over and over again. And there's the love of books that I just can't get over. I really have never seen someone so into books as my Addy girl. Her books are her treasures, and she tells the most fantastic stories as she flips the pages of book after book after book. This birthday, Addy really got that is was HER birthday - and she milked it for all it was worth. "I should go first," she'd say, "'cause it's my birthday." "I should eat this lollipop BEFORE breakfast . . . 'cause it's my birthday." "I should behave horribly and not get in trouble . . . 'cause it's my birthday." "I should tell everyone what to do . . . 'cause it's my birthday." Yep. She totally got it. If she could only stay little.