Morgan Kate

Dear Morgan Kate,

Friday you turned FOUR. Four years old. I'm pretty sure I start all of your birthday letters the same way - astonished at the fact that you are another year older. This past week has been crazy. Between starting back to school, your Daddy working hard to complete your birthday present, planning your celebration and just life in general, I'm just now getting around to writing this letter. It's better that way though. Right now I'm sitting on the back porch, sipping coffee and reflecting on this past year and you and us.

You haven't been a "baby" for quite some time now, but even just last year I could still cling to the fact that you weren't 100% potty trained (you became 100% just days after your 3rd birthday, completely potty trained during the day and night). That little tiny piece actually in some crazy way felt comforting because it kept you a "baby" or at least in my head it did. This year you are all big girl. 

You go for your well visit this week, so after Wednesday we will know more about your height and weight as a four year old. You are wearing mostly 3Ts and some fours. Occasionally you still fit in some 2T clothes. Height wise you need much larger, but your teeny tiny waist doesn't allow for it. The fall and winter are going to be hard in regards to pants. Your shoe size is a 7/8. You aren't really a shoe girl, so you only have about four pairs that actually fit and out of those four there are about two that you really like wearing. Your shoes of choice at this moment are your rain boots or your flip flops. You are so your mommy's girl. 

You talk all.of.the.time. You ask so many questions and lately you are really into what words mean. I can just see your brain working. You do so much thinking, really deep thinking. It blows me away. And you have an amazing memory. Amazing. Thank goodness you do because lately my memory seems to have stopped working.

You are such a girly girl and a tomboy at the same time. It's the perfect combination. You love anything pink. You love playing with your babies and stuffed animals. You play dress up almost every.single.day. You like drawing and painting and putting puzzles together. You love reading. You enjoy having us read to you, but you also love to read stories to your babies. You love watching cartoons - your favorite at this moment is Tom and Jerry. And while you love so many indoor activities, you LOVE being outside as well. You love kicking and throwing a ball. You love running and jumping and exploring. You love riding the 4 wheeler and going for boat rides. Your birthday gift from Mommy and Daddy was a play set and you are having a ball on it. You once had a love for all things BUGS, but lately you seem to be a little frightened by them.

You know all of your colors. You can count to twenty, maybe further, we usually just stop at twenty. You know your ABCs and pronounce all of the letters correctly, even that whole LMNOP thing that used to always get me. You can visually point out a few letters and a few numbers. There are many books in your collection that you have memorized and can actually read to us. It's crazy! You have really great conversations with us and you know a lot about so many things. You are starting school this week. Even though you are four, you are enrolled to be in the 3 year old classroom at school. Mommy and Daddy are still trying to decide what to do about school for you. Technically you could start kindergarten next year, but you would be the absolute youngest in your class. If you had been born just one week later, you would be in a completely different grade level. Anywho, it's a decision your daddy and I don't take lightly and something that we still have to really consider. Until then, we are going with what we feel most comfortable with and that is to have you in the 3s this year. 

You are such a snuggler and so loving. You are so kind and think of everyone. When you are saying your prayers at night you thank God for everyone and everything. You are compassionate and have such a big heart. You are empathetic and if someone looks different or acts different you politely whisper and ask one of us about it. I love that about you. You tell us you love us all of the time and you often say thing like, "Mommy, you are so beautiful" or "Daddy, you are the best daddy ever".

While you are super sweet almost 98% of the time, you do have a little feisty, impatient side. Again, you are your mommy's child. You want 110% attention all of the time and when you don't get it, you get upset. You can be a little sassy at times and you want us to play with you constantly. When we can't, you usually pitch a fit. You are doing much better in restaurants as far as sitting still and actually eating, but you hate shopping. We have GOT to work on this. You hate riding in the buggy and when I do let you down you run and hide and want everything in the store. This past Christmas we really struggled with bedtime behavior, but we seem to have worked that out. You now have a little routine and most nights you go to bed without a fuss and sleep a solid 12 hours. 

Morgan Kate, you are the light of our lives. Our everything and we love you so, so much. I still get all emotional just watching you. You melt my heart and make me the biggest mush. I tried really hard this year not to play the "back in 2008" game and for the most part I did really good, but on your actual birthday my mind really seemed to just stay there and emotionally I was a wreck. I think I held it in pretty good though. I kept my self busy so that I didn't have time to just break down. I think the tears and emotional stuff now is not so much what happened on that day in 2008, but how thankful I am for what is NOW - who you are and what you have become despite your extremely premature birth. You are my absolute miracle. Even when you are 62 years old, you will still be MY MIRACLE. 

I love you so big, baby girl. Thank you for loving me.
Mommy