Four.

Dear Charlotte,

Today you are four!  I can’t comprehend how this has happened because it feels like just yesterday I held you for the first time and now here we are, four years later.  How you’ve grown in these four years.  You love so fiercely, and man oh man, when you don’t like something you dislike it with the same amount of intensity.  You wake up every morning and you always think to ask me how I slept.  Since you’re still in my bed (we’re really going to need to fix this one little mama) I usually haven’t slept that well, but waking up to your sweet face and your hugs and kisses never gets old.  I love how you snuggle up to me and yell, “mommy love me harder! love me more!” and even in your sleep will roll over and ask me to hold you.

You’re thriving in school and making friends.  You’re shy, but you are starting to come out of your shell little by little, which makes me so proud.  You love your cousins and friends so much and ask about them almost every day.  You always want someone to come over and love to have a packed social calendar.  “Who is coming over today? What are we doing today?”  You like plans, which is funny for a four year old.

I think your favorite thing to do is paint and color and you think every single picture deserves a spot on the fridge or displayed somewhere else around the house because you are so pleased with yourself.  I hope you never lose that pride in your work, no matter what you’re doing.  It gives me so much joy to see how happy you are with one of your creations.

You love to sing, with Shallow being your current favorite, and I will never get tired of hearing you belt out the wrong words to the song.  Our dance parties in the living room are some of my favorite times.  You’re always down to dance with me.

I love that you think licking a piece of broccoli should have won you a lifetime achievement award and how absolutely dramatic you were when this event occurred.  Every time your clothes come out of the dryer you think you have to do jumping jacks and spin around to stretch them out.  When you’re done you dramatically sigh and say, “I think they’re loose enough now!”  I think you get the drama gene from me.

You are wildly independent and make sure everyone knows it.  You insist on dressing yourself and putting your shoes on yourself, even if it takes 500 times longer than it would if someone helped you.  But I’ll never get tired of seeing your beaming face walk down the steps when you’ve successfully put your pajamas on and shout that you did it.  I hope you take this attitude with you for the rest of your life.  #IndependentWoman.

I wouldn’t change a minute of our four years together.  You make me a better me, and even when I am at my wit’s end and ready to throw in the towel, when you look up at me and say “mommy, will you forgive me?” my heart melts.  I love you more than I knew it was possible to love anyone.  You are my whole heart.

Happy birthday, my baby girl.  I’ll let you pop all the balloons today in celebration of being fantastic four.