Bittersweet Birthdays

Today my little girl turned four. The pictures in this post were taken the day after she was born; I can barely believe that four years have already passed. I find birthdays to be very bittersweet. On one hand, it's amazing to see your children grow a year older. It's inspiring to see how their bodies, minds, and spirits evolve with each passing year. Watching their personalities deepen is an awesome experience to behold.

That being said, it's still difficult to watch them move further and further away from the birth stage. This period is so significant, because a newborn has yet to be exposed to the outside world. There is a sense of wonder and purity that surrounds a new life; a deep knowing that anything is possible! None of us can grow in a bubble, but these protected early moments with our children are precious beyond words. I gave birth to my daughter at my Mom's house, on a lake, with an amazing midwife. She entered the world in the most peaceful way I could have imagined. I feel like we were given a great gift to have had such an experience. During that brief time, everything was perfect in our world. I knew that blissful period couldn't last, but I can't help but feel nostalgic about it now and again.

Despite my moments of melancholy, I wouldn't turn back the clock. Today my daughter is a vibrant fire-cracker, with an intense zest for life! She has a very diverse vocabulary, full of colorful phrases. Through my son's Kindergarten stories, she has learned all about Justin Bieber! Thankfully, she doesn't quite get the reference, because she calls him Justin "Beaver" and she thinks he's just another kid in her brother's class. When she heard her cousin talking about Justin Bieber, she said, " Ha, that's so funny! There's two Justin "Beavers"; he's in Anna's class too!"

So, she may not be my sweet newborn anymore, but she is my sweet and hilarious little girl. I may never understand the Justin Bieber obsession, but I am becoming quite fond of Justin "Beaver"!

Justin "Beaver"