My emotions always run high when a birthday comes along and I realize another whole year has passed us by. It is so hard as a mommy to watch those years fly by, yet it has become a treasure to watch the growth and development that has taken place as well. It is the epitome of bitter sweet for sure.
I was tucking Bre in bed on the eve of her birthday and I told her I wanted to share my "4" favorite things about her. These were on my list.
1.) I love your crazy butt shake dance
2.) I love when you say, "that's a great idea"
3.) I love that you love to sit in the car at lunchtime with me and just "relax"
4.) I love your passion and excitement for life.
I could have gone on and on, but those were my top picks. As I tucked my little one in that night, in order to hold it together, all I could do was just thank the good Lord that He gave me my girl. In the years of dealing with my eating disorder, I was told by doctors that because of the damage I was doing to my body, it would be very hard to conceive and carry a child. I stand in awe at the blessing that God allowed not only restoration into my life, but also a reward. He blessed me 1000 times over when He gave me a beautiful, healthy girl. I always felt like Aubrey was my gift from God, almost as if it was His way of saying, "I still believe you can do this, Ash...I haven't given up on you". She is my daily reminder of how far I have come and also my inspiration to stay whole and healthy.
I am so thankful for this girl. She has made leaps and bounds in progress this year and I am beyond proud of her accomplishments. She has made wonderful strides in talking at school, doing much better at naps and bedtime, fully 100% potty trained, able to say her letters, spell her name, recite many bible verses, pledge of allegiance and the list goes on. But above and beyond those great things, she is becoming a sweet, kind, loving and Godly little girl. She is an amazing big sister and she begs me daily to give her another sibling! Don't get me wrong...it's not all roses and sunshine with Bre, but she has come so far in these four short years.
As hard as it is for me to watch her baby years slip away, I am filled with gratitude that I get many more years of watching her flourish. I will continue to cherish every single special moment with her and relish every "simple, everyday" things we do together as well.
My wishes for you my sweet girl, are that you will continue to grow into the amazing young girl that you are. Keep being kind...loving others...doing the right thing and having lots of fun along the way. Thank you for teaching me that life is about laughter and imagination and that it's important to slow down and enjoy the ride.
Happy birthday Bre! We love you so much!
