My son is having a birthday later this week and so the week will revolve around preparing the house for company and getting ready for his party.  He is DS #1 and is 17 months younger than his big sister.  When she was born, I started a baby book for her and was pretty good about keeping it up for the first 6 months or so.  Then I fell behind - really behind.  So far behind that on the occasion of her fifth birthday (the baby book is called "My First Five Years") I took the opportunity to catch up by way of a letter to her I wrote in the comments section trying to summarize the 4.5 years I had skipped.

Well, if this was the treatment my first born's baby book got, you can imagine how neglected the others were.  For #2 and #3, I bought baby books before they were born but sadly, not a single entry was ever made in either.  For #4, I haven't even purchased a baby book.

Before you go thinking I'm a terrible mother, I did buy first year calendars for all of my children where I faithfully recorded every milestone of that first year.  I also have 100s of photos and though I don't scrapbook, I have all but the last 18 months worth in albums with 400 photos per album - each child has their own dedicated album and then we have a few family albums in addition. 

At any rate, I wrote a little letter to my daughter on her 5th birthday (her nick name is 'Sassa' which is how she pronounced her name when she first learned to say it) and I fully intended to do a similar letter for each of my children when they turned 5.  Needless to say, I'm a few years behind as #2 is turning 7 but I hope to get to his done before the week is out.  With this in mind, here is the letter I wrote to my daughter.  It isn't very long as their wasn't much room for comments in the book, but I am just as amazed today by the wonder of it all as I was the day we brought her home from the hospital.

My beautiful Alyssa,

This book is called "My First Five Years" and as I sit here just 10 days from your 5th birthday, I don't know where the time has gone.  Each day I am reminded of the many stages you've come through by the portraits hung throughout the house and I'm so grateful to God for allowing me to be your mother.  You have brought such joy to your dad and I from the day you were born. 

I remember well sitting in church that first Sunday, realizing that you would spend your 60th hour of life in church, and as I looked at you, I was overcome with the miracle of it all.  Tears rolled down my cheeks as I sat in awe. You were so tiny and so perfect and so beautiful and my heart overflowed with love for you as I know it always will.  I hope someday you will experience the amazement and sense of awe that only holding your first born child can bring.

When I think of your second year of life, I remember your unbridled joy.  It was so much fun watching you just bubble over as if your little body couldn't contain the happiness you felt.  Your joy was infectious and all who watched you were overcome by it.

Then I remember your third year and the amazement you displayed as you discovered new things about the world around you.  We were all amazed by how perceptive you were and how able you were becoming - like the day you figured out how to climb the cyclone fence in our front yard.

By your fourth year, you and Brendan had become great playmates and I loved to watch you two as you directed Brendan and he followed your lead.  You were so smart and beautiful and charming in a very innocent and loving way.  Many strangers told us you looked like a porcelain doll.  You were so feminine and graceful and poised.

This past year you have matured so much.  You are a little girl now who seems wise beyond your experience.  I am still amazed as I have been every day of these last 5 years by all that you've been and done and by who you are becoming. 

Through each phase of your life, I have wished I could stop the clock so that I could enjoy that phase forever only to find that the next phase was even more exciting and fun than the last.  You have been such a joy and I will never forget the many wonderful moments of these last 5 years.