Dear Sunshine Girl...

My dearest Emilia Kate,

               This past year with you, from 12-24 months of age has been both trying and beautiful. You are so strong willed, ornery, and sometimes even downright defiant and yet, you are my sunshine girl whose chatter and singing never fail to make me smile. You have challenged me to the utmost, and sent me running to parenting books to help me figure out how to best direct your spit fire in the proper manner. I have learned SO much from you. Your need to be rocked to sleep until you were 14 months old, your need for a midnight bottle until 16 months, and the fact that you still sleep in my bed have forced me to slow down, reassess and learn to treasure your constant need for me because I know it will not last much longer(as is evidenced by your 4.5 year old sister's independence).

            Months ago your father moved out of our family home, and now you are readjusting and learning to live in two different homes. We are trying to figure out how to make sure that you get all the daddy time that you need, and it's been hard for me. Hard because I see how you can't express your confusion at what is going on, and hard because this isn't what I originally wanted for you. But it's ok, strong girl, you will persevere. You will overcome. I know this, because I have watched your progress over the last year in physical therapy. I have seen the many falls, and scraped knees as a result of your lack of muscle tone and coordination, but I have also seen you get up and keep going. This is a lesson that will apply to so much of your life.

              Your clarity of speech never fails to make me smile. Highlights of my days with you always include listening to you sing "twinkle, twinkle" from the backseat of the car, and your early morning demands for a hotdog, cheese, or coffee(24 months). The highlights of your speech do not include your 2am demands to watch tv, specifically Dora the Explorer :) As much as it frustrates me when we are running late and it would be faster for me to do something myself, I love hearing your cries of "DO IT SELF!". Also, "hi, mommy" as you enter any room that I am in, or "Dabby(Gabby), where are you?!"

            Really, Sunshine Girl, I just pray that you become the woman you are intended to be. That you learn to channel(and that I am able to teach you how to do so) your spit fire personality into a force with which to be reckoned. I am so thankful for you, and for a God who apparently saw fit to make me your mama.

<3 Mommy