To My Sweet Bug

Blowing out the candle in your birthday, breakfast waffle

Zoë, Zoë, Zoë...

Where to begin? (I write that as though I know this letter will be long, but I honestly can't tell you it's length. No matter, it is straight from your momma's heart.) I guess I should start by saying:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I still cannot believe you are two. 2 years old!

It feels like yesterday I was hearing the words, "It's a girl!" as the doctor held you up for my eyes to behold you in all of your fresh from the womb glory. So, so beautiful! (Though the way I just said that sounds a little weird, right? I'm sorry...can we blame the fact I haven't had a solid nights sleep, let alone a solid 3 hours of sleep, in the past 5 weeks? Actually...it probably would have come out like that anyway. Oh well :])

I'll be honest: becoming a mommy frightened me a bit. And sometimes I'm still afraid I will have made more wrong choices in raising you than right. But I'm so glad I've been given the opportunity; you are such a delight to me and to our entire home!

Zoë you light up whatever room you are in. And you definitely make sure people know you are here. You're still a little reserved when first coming in to a large group of people, but it isn't long after you are being silly, asking for everyone's eyes to be on you, desiring to be delighted in. You have no qualms with asking for you want and being persistent in the process. While the etiquette of our culture almost demands I teach you to tone down both of those characteristics, I'm so very hesitant to knowing they can be great assests to you when you are older. I so hope your tenacity for getting what you want is not lost but honed so you can properly use it when you need it.

You also LOVE to engage people in laughter. If there is a way to get people laughing, you are going to find it. You search it out and when you find it, your squeals of laughter reverberate off of every wall it can. I could listen to you laugh for hours. It is so pure. So contagious. So innocent.

And as I stare at the picture I posted above, I can't help but be reminded of how often your daddy and I talk about how beautiful you are. My biggest hope is you will come to understand your beauty comes from within and is displayed outwardly. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy dressing up and feeling pretty on the outside, but that there is no need to work with or change your outward appearance to be beautiful. I'm thinking I may be getting a little serious as you are still so young, but I daily watch you enjoy feeling pretty. Currently your "princess shoes", as you have dubbed them all because of a disney princess decal inside the shoe, are your favorite.

You love showing them to whoever will look and often tell them "pretty" while pointing your toe to emphasize the fact you think they are pretty. You sometimes follow this scenario up with an index finger pointing at your chest and saying, "Zoë pretty." This is likely why I think so deeply on this issue even though you are just a little tot.

Ah! I love you so much, Zoë. And am ever so glad to call you my daughter. 

Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea!

Love,

Mommy