The Birthday Girl

Yesterday was Elise's 7th Birthday. Lucky seven. Each year I say, "I can't believe she's (fill in the blank with whichever age she is turning)!" This year was no exception. What really strikes me about this birthday, is that my youngest brother had just turned 7 when Cory & I got married. He was down last weekend and he's now almost 16, creeping in on 6 feet tall and not at all the little boy with the buzz cut who couldn't keep his shirt tucked in. And our wedding day seems like it was just yesterday. So I'm afraid I'm going to blink and Elise will be 16. So leading up to yesterday, I reminisced about the day Elise was born and how she's already seven years old.

When Cory & decided it was time to start our family, we couldn't have been more thrilled, excited, nervous and unprepared for the adventure before us. After what seemed to be a never-ending nine months and an even longer delivery, the doctor handed a sweet little swaddled bundled to me that changed my life forever.
We spent that first year taking care of the house together, walking around outside, having picnics with Daddy and letting her discovering everything she could about this world around her and me trying to figure out how to be a mother. Before I knew it, she had turned 1. And she was the cutest thing I had ever seen.
By the time her second birthday rolled around, we had moved, I had had to begin disciplining her from time to time (that was very hard the first go round. I just wanted to love her all the time, not put her in time out!!!!), we were preparing for a little brother to join the family, and she was growing and developing into this sweet, helpful, grown-up little girl.
By her third birthday, we had moved yet again. We had adjusted to aforementioned little brother. Elise became a little mother to him. She was sweet, sassy, totally a little girl and spent her days playing with cousin Emmy. Her main activity consisted of filling up every purse she could find with complete nonsense and walk around like she was queen of the castle. I will never forget her and Emmy going into the playroom with toy shopping carts and stuffing them full of 50 random things they could pull out and walk around the house pushing those carts like they were 25. It was adorable and hilarious and endearing.

With her fourth birthday, had come yet another move (is there a trend here?) and I suddenly began to realize what a big girl she really was becoming. I was looking at her last year at home before school started!!!! We always had so much fun and it was fun watching her and Ian play together. One of my favorite memories was of them playing Barbies together (being the big sister means having your way a lot!!!). Elise had hers all dressed, hair brushed and the dolls lined up on the edge of a blanket, ready for some grand imaginary activity. Ian had a doll in his hand, zooming it around the room like an airplane, complete with sound effects!!! What a difference, but how fun it was. Elise also showed even more her talent for cleaning up. It truly is a gift!!!
For once, her fifth birthday was held in the same house as her fourth!!! I could see Elise's sweet, sensitive nature even more. She was very aware of others feelings, and began to emerge as a peacemaker in our home. She also developed a healthy sassy streak (from where is a mystery;)). Her own sense of fashion really began to become apparent as she would decide what to wear what looked good and no amount of talking could convince her otherwise. We had also welcomed another little girl into our family a mere three months before and Elise was most definitely in LOVE with that baby!!!
Last year was her sixth birthday. In the last year she's developed more talents and has really begun to shine in our family. She loves music, she's somewhat double jointed and quite pleased with the fact that she can "creep people out". She's more and more independent, a great little chef, still a peacemaker, a loving, caring, wonderful big sister with a heart of gold and a joy to have in our home. Now, with another little sister on the way, I have no doubt that Elise is ready for the challenge. Here was our little snaggle-tooth yesterday on birthday number seven. The time has flown by. Like with anything in life, there are ups and downs. But this little girl is the light of our life. Sometimes I am just overwhelmed by the love I feel for her. I wish I could adequately express the feeling I have, but there are just no words. I heard a quote one time that said, "There are two lasting gifts you can give your children. One is roots, the other is wings." The more and more I watch Elise grow, I think the roots are the easy part. The wings are too, I guess. It's just the part where I watch her fly that tugs at my heartstrings a little more. I think I also understand why my parents wanted me to build a house in their backyard. :)


Happy Birthday, Elise!!!