Happy Birthday to my dear sweetie. My dearest Brinley.

I had no clue what having a daughter would mean to me. You are completely amazing. Stubborn & independence emerging...which has completely numbed me with shock sometimes. You AMAZE me. The whole package. The girlish looks & diva-seeking ways. Your flare for the dramatic. Where did you get all this? Your persistence is always there. You have to try to do things yourself. And even if you fail, you keep trying. We're working on getting you to ask for help.

And then, there's all your quirks. I love that you pronounce things wrong sometimes. You still say nackman instead of napkin, even though I've corrected you lots of times. These days, I've tried to cut back on my corrections for the small, cute things you do. Because they are so innocent. Today, you opened a birthday card & had a 10 dollar bill in it. You called it "order." You've made that association between ordering from a drive-through or restaurant that you have to pay for it in the end. So funny and innocent. Tonight, whenever the birthday song was sung to you in the restaurant, your brother was eyeing your cake like a hawk. You spooned him out some first before taking a bite of it yourself. So thoughtful and kind. Maybe all the schpeels about sharing are paying off. You woke up in a great mood at the start of today, like you always do whenever you get plenty of rest. That's one of the many things that I just LOVE about you. I love your sassy flair that you bring with you when you reach your level of comfort around someone. I love your silly laugh. I love your need to keep things clean. You're constantly wiping off the table or dusting around the house or me. I love your need to take care of others. It's the little mommy in you. Someday you're gonna make a great wife and mommy. I love our night time routine of songs & snuggles & nose-rubs. I love the fact that you learn through song. You can remember so many songs or pick up any song you want to set your mind to. And I adore the songs you make up yourself as you go about your day. I love that you are finding 'you.' And for the most part, you're doing it all by yourself. And I love getting to know you better day by day & sharing in all of this self-searching. I love you for you. Even the part of you that tosses fits of stubborness my way lately. I love it all. We'll get through this year if we're blessed with it. And undoubtedly it will be another year filled with dress-up and tears and princesses and frills and more of your signature songs. And just those moments of you, my dearest Brinley. Here's to some of the most joyous & memorable three years of our lives.