My Baby Isn't a Baby Anymore

Today our youngest daughter, the one who graced us with her presence five weeks early because she needed to tell the world she had arrived, celebrated her 5th birthday. And let me tell you // I've been feeling all the "feels" you feel when you have a child turning a year older. 

You feel nostalgic reminiscing about their birth story and those first few weeks at home. 
You feel proud of the little person they are becoming. 
And when they're turning 5 - you get to witness their excitement at being able to officially display their age by flashing a "high-five" with one full hand of tiny fingers! 

But this week, as we headed into today, I also felt something different - something I did not feel when our older two kiddos turned five.   

I couldn't put my finger on it until this morning. Why all these feels? And why so many?

Why? Because this is our "baby" and well... she is not our baby anymore. 

Our baby has stepped over the threshold of toddler into the land of "little girl". And this birthday is probably the last birthday where Disney Jr. characters where involved and where mommy still had a say in what outfit she should wear (she did look pretty darn adorable).

It may sound crazy to some, but to those of you nodding your head as your read this - you get it! You see your little ones growing up before your eyes and you realize there is nothing you can do to SLOW. IT. DOWN. And wow, it can feel scary!

One would think that it would get easier after the first or second child but, I believe it only gets harder. I can remember writing a post when our daughter was only about 10 weeks old, rediscovering just how beautiful it was to hold an infant in my arms again. And with the birth of each child I was amazed at how my love could multiply. It was, and still is, fascinating.

I know tomorrow will come quickly and our baby will be one day closer to another birthday, to another candle blown out, and another year of memories gone by. So my prayer is that she may always know how beautiful, how strong, and how loved she is. 

Happy Birthday, my darling, Kennedy!