Taylor turns Four

Taylor is now a four year old. Just take a moment to process that. I started this blog in 2008 right before she was born, and most of you have been reading it since its beginning. Which means y’all have virtually known my daughter since the day her eight pound, nineteen-and-a-half inch body entered this world. And that was FOUR years ago. That’s a long time, folks. That’s the total amount of time you spent in high school or college. Think about how much you changed from the beginning to end of those journeys. And look how much this little peanut has grown since I gave birth to her four years ago.

 Ah. Those CHEEKS! We still got a bit of them left, but she’s really starting to lean out and grow into a real person. Gone is the squishy baby whose cheeks would hand below her chin and arms looked like they were bound with rubber bands. And while Luke’s face is super kissable, there is no comparison to Taylor’s baby-face. I pretty much smooched those delicious cheeks away.

And her personality has grown so much this past year as well. Three was a good year for Taylor. She became a big sister, she started school and she really blossomed into the caring, sweet little Miss that she is. I always pictured her being a bit of a diva, and while she still is a girly-twirly-pink-princess, she is sensitive and kind and funny and charming. She is a fantastic sharer-of-toys with her friends, a super tolerant big sister to a silly brother who is always on top of her and a well-behaved little person who listens well and is eager to help me and Chris as needed. She is perfect. And I am so lucky to get to spend everyday with this lovely girl and bask in her adorableness, and Chris and I are beyond thankful that she is our daughter.

So for such a precious girl, we had to make her birthday pretty special, right? And the day began with Chris and I sneaking in some balloons into the nursery to surprise her. And the awesome reaction was enough to solidify it as a tradition from here out:  Wake up to balloons on your birthday.

And my four year old was thrilled to be able to celebrate with her Yaya and Papa. It truly made her day that much more wonderful to have them here to give her birthday hugs and spend the day with her and watch her open their presents to her.

Oh yes. Of course there were lots of presents. Chris and I were pretty adamant to not buy her anymore plastic Princess junk that eventually ends up at the bottom of the toy chest. And since the weather is warming and we prefer to all be outside together, we got Taylor her first real-bike for her birthday. And she loved it.

A PRINCESS Huffy that has a attachable little carriage so she can ride with her dolls. Chris wanted to get her a normal, no-theme bike that Luke could possibly ride one day, but we knew she would prefer the pink, glittery one. Sorry, Luke.

So, as you can see, it was a wonderful day. And since Miss Taylor was born at 9.29 in the evening, all day long Chris and I would check the clock and announce, Four years ago RIGHT NOW we were doing such-and-such. Yep, we’ve been parents for four years now, and may I say we’ve done a pretty awesome job. High fives and Woot-woots! to us. So far, so good, eh? And I have a sneaking suspicion it will only get better from here.