Happy Birthday, My Sweet Girl (Updated w/ pics)

Today you are four. FOUR. I can hardly believe it! Wasn't it yesterday that you were placed in my arms, not as a newborn, but still as a baby? I fell in love with you instantly and swooned over your every smile. In my eyes, you could do no wrong.

Two and a half years later, I know better. You are full of marvelous mischief, terrible tantrums, and wicked whining. Do no wrong? Hardly!

And yet, I love you more with each passing day.

I love how, when you say your nightly prayers, you thank God for books and then sign "all done." I love you even more when I make you continue and then you thank God for "teachers and Uncle Russ." You have also regularly thank God for Eeyore, swimming, school, church, Aunt Cindy, Chloe, Abigail, didi (baby brother), grandma, grandpa, oma, opa, Signing Time, candy, and even Mama & Papa. :)

I love how you sign "cry" when someone is crying and then do your best to comfort them.

I love how, when you get something you want, you immediately put your pointer finger in the air to ask for "just one more" - every time. I love how you see the world as full of promise, a neverending abundance of joy.

I love what you bring out in people. Kate, people always remember you. They always have. You always wave hello to people and, if mama didn't stop you, would hug everyone, too. You bring out smiles in everyone, but I especially love how you can make the most serious or the saddest break out into smile that comes from deep down.

I love how much you love your classmates, especially Cole. And I love how you sign "cold" for "Cole."

I love when you snuggle with me while I'm singing to you. I love that you love my singing. I love how we sing "He's Got the Whole World (in His hands)" together, you completing the second part, like "He's got Kate and _________ (Addison) in His hands." You do such a good job at that!

I love your boundless energy at the zoo and how your laughter can induce even bird-fearing Papa to go into the aviary so you can feed your feathered friends.

I love the light in your eyes and the dimples in your butt.
I love your demand to be known, your intense stubborness which will help you throughout your life.
I love your naughtiness. Just the other day, when you and your brother were sitting on the couch, I told you to stop putting your feet on your brother, then you gave me that look. I pretended I didn't see it so that I could see what you were up to. You proceeded to nudge your brother with your foot, but just barely. I told you again to keep your feet to yourself. This time, you just touched him with your toe. I gave you the mama look and you pulled your toe away. Then, in true Kate fashion, you hovered your foot over him, smiling like the little imp that you are. I'm sure you were saying in your head, "I'm not touching you, na-na-na-na-na-na."

I love how you ask for candy for breakfast, ever-hopeful that this might be the morning that I say yes.

I love how you call the song "Thy Word" the foot song. It took me a while to figure out what you wanted when you kept pointing at your foot when I asked you what song you wanted me to sing. I love that we have enough of our own language for me to understand what you meant, as you were thinking of the first line: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet."

I love your seeming primal connection to animals. I will not be one bit surprised if your future endeavours are animal-related.

I love how quickly you learned the role of a big sister. When I give you food or medicine that you do not want, you try to pawn it off on Addison.

I love how easily you accepted Addison into your world and heart. I love the shrieks of laughter as you both dump water over each other's heads in the bath tub.

I love how a perfect birthday means Mama and Addison joining you for lunch at school and bringing McDonald's french fries for you and cupcakes for the whole class.

I love how I can get so frustrated with your challenges and you forgive me my impatience.

I love how you stop and smell the flowers. Really.

I love how you say "Mama" and that means me.

I love how, even faced with so many continued challenges, you are clearly aware of how awesome you are.

And more than anything else, I love that you seem to have always known that you are a beautiful and perfectly imperfect child of God. "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." ~1 Timothy 4:12 (Of course, you already do this, my love.)

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl. You, my love, are my heart and my spirit. May this year bring you joy.

Your Lucky Mama