quatro

This girl right here is four years old today.
You hear me, Laneybug?
Four.
As I try to say it, the words get caught on my tongue,
unable to come out audibly without significant effort.
The time, as they say, goes extremely fast.

I remember the day you were born so clearly.
The pain. The exhaustion. The triumph.

Most of all, I remember the love.
The swell of it that rushed over DRL and I the second you arrived and were placed on my chest.
The way the air was different
changed
somehow, in that split fraction of an instant my world was reshaped
reformatted
forever.

Life was different.
Whole.

I want to remember you, forever, exactly as you are today.
Daring.
Shy.
Bossy.
Nosy.
Precocious.
Silly.
Thumb-sucking.
Whining.
Candy loving.
Rio soundtrack singing.
Gorgeous.
Inquisitive.
Obsessed with frogs and lizards and princesses.

Being your parent isn't always easy,
I am far from perfect,
but being your parent is the best thing I've ever been in the whole of my existence.
I am so amazed by you,
every single day.
I wish there were more days where we could be silly and play from the time the sun wakes up
until it's time for sleep.
But on the days when I am not there,
know that there is no one on this earth (except for your daddy)
that loves you more than me.

I'm so excited for this next year of your life.
To continue to watch you grow,
learn,
explore.

To see you eat at dinnertime.

So here's to you, my darling sweet daughter.
A story from your third year of life that
when told
made you squeal with laughter.
I'm certain that there is no better sound on this earth
sweeter than your giggle.

Elena Bedaina, the tooter of Tut,
Farted and a smell wafted from her butt.
It drifted through the city and down to the town,
the nasty butt smell made the cityfolk frown.
But Elena Bedaina didn't stop that root-tootin'
she kept on eating beans so the farts would keep shootin'
And then one day Elena caught a whiff of that stuff
and Elena Bedaina shouted "Enough!"
"I won't eat more beans, you can't make me I say!
I don't want to fart all night and all day.
I'm a lady! I don't want to be gross!
Tomorrow for dinner, all I'm eating is toast!"

All my love
forever and ever
(and then one day more)

Mom