She

She is so responsible, every morning when she wakes up she gets dressed, brushes her teeth and hair and makes her bed before coming downstairs, seriously.

She is affectionate and has been since birth. The first six months of her life I couldn't put her down or she would cry until I picked her back up again. To this day she is the one that comes to snuggle, to get a quick kiss, to run after a sibling before bed or nap time for a kiss good night.

She is cautious, a rule follower (and she freaks out in a major way if one of her siblings starts to break a rule or do anything semi-dangerous). This summer she finally gathered enough courage to ride without training wheels and she is swimming like a little fish mermaid all around the pool.

She has a hard time speaking up in some social situations but it's getting better. I don't want to change her, she's an introvert and I have no problem with that but I do want her to be able to speak up when it's necessary. We're working on it and she's found a little loop hole, a way to get what she needs without asking for it...she gets her sister to ask for it for her. Resourceful yes, but not exactly what we want.

She is all quiet and perfectly behaved away from home and then steps in my door and the floodgate of words bursts open and doesn't stop until she falls asleep. All her observing of limit testing in school or at the neighborhood pool gets tested out on her sister or on me.

She is the best little helper. If I ever need anything she REALLY wants to be the one to do it. She runs to get diapers, locates my sunglasses, will empty the dishwasher, whatever needs to be done she wants to help.

She is compassionate, she is incredibly creative and she is really smart. She makes me laugh, she fills my heart, she challenges me, she makes me proud. I thank God for her, for all she has taught me and for every single day second with her.