Today you are five

Dear Sophia,

Exactly five years ago (@ 6:02pm) you entered this world! What a joy to see the face of the sweet girl who'd been growing inside of me for 41 weeks and 3 days. Daddy was there, so was our midwife, Angel, and a nurse or two. Grammy and Aunt Jeni got to be present for the grand entrance as well! What a special and proud moment it was for all of us. I will never forget it!

There is something very special about being the first child. You were are first miracle, our first chance to extend beyond ourselves, Daddy and me, to love someone else beyond what we could imagine. You were the first real evidence that indeed, we were one. To see how God created you out of a unique combination of our own genes - it was very cool! You are so much your Daddy, and yet, at the same time, you are so much me. God has blessed us with many miracle children since you, but you were the first, and that makes you very special indeed!

Today Daddy and I are taking you out on a date, just the three of us. It's a tradition we'd like to carry on through the years with you and your siblings. On your Big Day, you get to be pampered and doted on, because we want to show you how much we love you by spending that extra time just with you. We'll end the day with Riley (and just so happens this year with Grammy and Grampy) and a special birthday dinner - you've chosen pizza. Then we'll get to enjoy the cupcakes you helped me make last night! Yum!

You are one of my favorite people in this whole wide world. I love spending time with you. I love your imagination and creativity. I love you energy and your zeal for life. I love your passion and your drive. I love that you love dressing up in pretty dresses and having your hair in bows, while at the same time climbing a tree and playing pirates with the neighbors. I love how when you meet a kid about your age you want to play with them and you are always ready with some creative game or story to act out. You get very puzzled when some children seem uninterested in playing - as do I! You are often bored - because your poor Mom can't always keep up with you, but you are probably the least boring person I know! I love that about you. I love your love of learning. You have a good memory and you adore learning and creating new things.

My biggest prayer for you, Sophia Ruth, is that God would call you out from among the people to serve Him and love Him all the days of your life. I pray that He would develop all of your wonderful traits to be used for His purpose and His kingdom- to bless and to serve others. I can imagine you doing so much with your life, and I cannot wait to see what path God leads you on. I know that hard times will come your way, but I pray that God would prepare all of our hearts for those times, and that Jesus would be ever-near and would walk with us through them.

I love you so much. I can barely stand to be apart from you for a whole day and I adore living life with you. I'm sure this will change, but right now you are very adamant about always sitting next to me at meals and are certain you will live with me and Daddy for the rest of your life. I don't try to convince you otherwise, because I know that some day you won't choose me as your meal-mate and some day you will move out. I choose to cherish these moments that you are with me each and every day and I hold on to the hope that as you need me less you will rather choose to become my friend. I so look forward to a future with you as my daughter and cannot wait to see what adventures God takes you on!

All my love,
Mommy