Happy 4th Birthday Katelyn!

Katelyn, today you are 4. I won't bore you with the dramatics of your birth, but I will tell you I laid at home alone for 8 hours wondering if you were really about to be born. You were 8 days early, see. And then when I'd finally decided it was time, I left for the hospital with nothing but my purse. And I walked, Katelyn, to the hospital. Alone. I felt I was being brave, and I smiled thinking I could tell you all about it when you were older. When I finally found the labor and delivery unit I could barely stand. Your daddy was working an overnight shift in a faraway land called Queens and I had never wanted to see his face so badly in all my life. So I lay there in the intake room, alone, but thrilled because I was about to finally meet you. I stared at the clock on the wall, counting the seconds between waves of pain, and wondering if Queens was really on the other side of the earth. But daddy finally came and gave me things that made me spew red all over the delivery room and he held my hand and he shook and tears welled up in his eyes, he was excited too. And then twelve hours of waiting and pushing and a trip to the OR later there you were. You were quiet, Katelyn, you barely made a sound. And I thought your little pink eyelids and sweet pink lips were the most beautiful things I'd ever seen.

Eating your birthday cupcake at school.

But that was four years ago. You're Four years old today! You get a full vitamin at breakfast and it excites you so much. You are learning to write your name. You love princesses and coloring and making projects and Barbies and Strawberry Shortcake. You hate bedtime, tomatoes and having your hairbrushed. But I love you more than I could ever explain. You have the most adorable little lisp and you think the silliest thoughts. Your imagination is as big as the sky. I love you, Katelyn, I do.
Happy Fourth Birthday, my sweet.
Love,
Mom