dear sweet pea,

dear sweet pea,

as unbelievable as this sounds, happy 1st birthday! i swear you were just born, that i was just letting the world know we had our 1st daughter, that i was just cuddling your tiny self to my body and rejoicing in the fact that you woke only ONCE your first night in the world! 🙂

yet here i sit, typing out those words, *happy 1st birthday* in awe of your little self. the speed at which you walk, falling to the ground every few steps, quickly shoving yourself upright, only to totter and fall again. your perseverance is contagious, as is your smile. you bring all sorts of joy to our world. how someone so small can do this is beyond me, but somehow you manage…and with ease i might add.

your face lights up when you see your brothers, and you are hell-bent on keeping up with them. nothing deters you. not dunks in the pool, sprinklers in the face, walking across rocks, nor tumbling into the sandbox…where they are is where you want to be. it’s adorable how much you love them, and likewise, how much they love you. the way sunshine asks for you every morning, concerned, as if you may have left the premises sometime in the night, and the way he says your name is too cute for words. and just this morning, i overheard turbo saying to sunshine, *don’t you DARE hit her* that’s what big brothers do, they stand up for you. and oh! you are a lucky little girl to have these two little men in your life to protect you, and love you, and pick on you. i hope you can always see how blessed you are to have them, and likewise, them, you. and don’t even get me started on your daddy, between you and me? you’ve got him wrapped around your cute little finger 😉

i’m excited to watch you grow, to watch your personality blossom, to see how you begin to fit more tightly into our family puzzle, our circus. i do love my circus 🙂 and so, happy day to you dear baby girl, pretty lady, sweet pea. i’m overjoyed that i am the one you call mama, the one that will teach you about life, how to love and how to live. you have been nothing but a blessing in our lives, and you fill our hearts full to the top!

love * mommy

brother love 🙂

and to finish off the year :

love you baby girl.

{ps…in true stacey fashion, this birthday letter comes a week late. don’t judge. one of my favorite sayings is *better late than never* because it’s SO true! hugs my friends!}