As I was baking Christmas cookies today with Hailey, I realized that this is the first year she did not have to stand on a chair to reach the counter…

“My life keeps moving faster,
stealing precious days that pass.
I want to hold on longer-
want to recognize your lasts…

I’ve watched you grow and barely noticed seasons as they pass.
If I could freeze the hands of time,
I’d hold on to your lasts.”
Karen Kingsbury

Wow- where has the last year gone?  This last year was the fastest year of my whole life and I can’t believe I am already writing you your first birthday letter.  It seems like such a short time ago that we went to the hospital on that beautiful December morning for you to be born.  It can’t possibly have been a year already!

I didn’t get much sleep the night before, knowing that we would be heading to the hospital in the morning so you could finally be born.  I was nervous, scared and excited!  The morning seemed to drag on with the nurses doing various things to prepare me for your birth once we arrived at the hospital.  Then it was time to go to the operating room and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, but finally at 10:25am on December 16th you were here!  I remember when the doctor held you up and you weren’t breathing and he calmly said, “Well, let’s get this baby breathing.”  A few seconds later you were crying and I knew you were okay.

You have changed so much over the last year!  You don’t look like a little baby anymore, but rather like a busy little toddler.  It seems funny to look back at pictures of you when we first brought you home and you were so small and helpless.  Now you move pretty much non-stop and keep us on our toes!  Hard to believe that such a short time ago you couldn’t even roll over, let alone run all over the house.

You love to play with any toy that you can push around- if it has wheels on it you love it.  And of course if it makes noise that’s a definite bonus.  You push your toys all over the house and love to chase Dottie with your toys.  You sure do love Dottie- you like to give her hugs and say “awwww.”  She is nervous about you, but she is very patient and loving with you.

You sure do love Hailey and Daddy.  When Hailey gets home from school your little face just lights right up!  You like to see what she is doing and you want to be wherever she is.  You are so happy when Daddy gets home from work.  You follow him around all evening and just love to play with him.  You are certainly daddy’s little boy.

You aren’t too sure about strangers.  You don’t like it when they talk to you… sometimes when we are out shopping you will cry when someone talks to you.  Getting your picture taken is pretty much impossible since you are very scared of the photographers.

I remember when I was pregnant and I found out that you were going to be a boy.  I wondered what I would do with a little boy.  I knew all about princesses and tutus and pink, but I didn’t know much about little boys.  It turns out that there is just something pretty special about little boys.  There is no way to put into words how much I have loved you since the moment I met you.  I still don’t know much about playing with cars and trucks and trains, but I know you’re going to teach me.

You are such a happy boy and such a good baby.  You have made our family complete and I can’t imagine our lives without you.  We sure do love you!!

Happy 1st Birthday Little Man Cub!

Love,
Mommy

Where have the last six years gone?  I don’t know, but they sure went by fast.  It’s strange though- on one hand this last year seems to have gone by even faster than the other years, but on the other hand it feels like so long ago that you turned five.

You really grew up in the last year.  People have been commenting a lot lately that you suddenly look like you’re older.  It’s true too, you are just so grown up all of a sudden.  You are a first grader now and that just seems so much more mature than a kindergartener.  You have become very independent and can do so much on your own.  I know that’s how it’s supposed to be, but sometimes I miss you needing my help all the time.

You had a fantastic year in kindergarten  We were so proud of how hard you worked.  You learned to read, and once you figured it out you couldn’t get enough.  You just love to read and read!  Your teacher told us what a great reader you were and that you were reading at a first grade level.  When kindergarten came to an end you were sad- you didn’t think you’d like summer vacation very much.  At first we had to spend summer vacation doing school work because you missed school so much.  You did get over that and decided you actually liked summer vacation after a couple of weeks.

You’re in first grade now and you still love school.  You were very nervous about going back to school.  You didn’t think there was any way your new teacher could be as nice as your kindergarten teacher and you decided you’d be better off going back to kindergarten.  Thankfully I convinced you to give first grade a try, and you love your teacher.  You’re doing great so far in first grade and you are such a hard worker.

I think the biggest event in the last year for you was becoming a big sister.  You are an absolutely amazing big sister.  Hunter lights up whenever he sees you and you are so good with him.  When you hear him cry you always try to help make him happy.  You give him tons of hugs and kisses.  You play with him, entertain him, and love him so much.  Being a big sister has not been without challenges.  Sometimes you tell us that Hunter gets more attention than you or that you feel left out.  We try to make sure you know how special you are and how much we love you.  I know that being a big sister can be hard but you are most definitely the best big sister ever!

You are still a girly girl.  Your favorite things to play with are Barbie dolls and princesses.  I love to listen to you in your room playing with your dolls.  Your imagination is amazing and entertaining.  You love pink and purple and dressing in skirts and dresses.  You love coloring and drawing.  Sometimes you spend hours in your room coloring pictures.

You still light up my world.  I can’t imagine a life without having my little miss.  I love watching you grow and learn and turn into a young lady.  You are my world and I’ll love you more than you will ever know.

I love you Little Miss!!  Happy 6th Birthday!

Mommy

How is it possible that Hailey started first grade today?  I just can’t wrap my brain around the fact that she is growing up so fast.

Hailey eating her breakfast before school today- she had peanut butter toast, sausage, and some milk to drink.

All ready for school and showing off her new outfit.

The Ariel lunch box

Rapunzel book bag

All ready to go to first grade.

Sitting in her chair in her new classroom.

Rich and I took Hailey to school for her first day (Hunter came along too, of course).  She was worried and not sure she really wanted to go to first grade.  She thought she was better prepared to go back to kindergarten again.  She didn’t think it would be possible for her new teacher to be as nice as her teacher from last year.  I reassured her that she was indeed ready for first grade and that she would find kindergarten boring this year since she already knows all of that information.  And I told her we should give her new teacher a chance to see what she thought of her.

This morning Hailey told me she was feeling excited and shy about going to first grade.  When I picked her up from school she told me she had a great day and that she really likes her teacher.  It turns out that her new teacher is indeed very nice.  Hailey said her favorite thing she did today was coloring.  She also enjoyed the stories that they read.  She is glad that some of her friends from last year are in her class this year.  I know she’s going to have a great year and I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes this year!