A Letter to Ava on her 8th Birthday

Dear Ava,

It's so hard to believe that you are 8 years old. It seems like only yesterday that I spent 3 days in the hospital, in pain, waiting for you to arrive. As soon as you were born, all that was washed away as I was handed the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Over the past 8 years, you have made us laugh, shake our heads in frustration, and marvel at what a beautiful girl you are.

Sometimes, I miss those squishy baby cheeks and long for the days when I could dress you in what I want you to wear and read you what I want you to hear. However, I am also loving this fiercely independent girl you are. We like a lot of the same things and I enjoy sharing new experiences with you and taking you places to see new things.

It is very obvious to all that you are a dreamer. You dream big things and long to create, whether that is using craft supplies, paper, or just a pen and paper. I marvel at the things that you come up with and always enjoy seeing what's next. Creativity is something I have always wanted and you have it in spades. Your father and I may not always understand what you are creating, but it is always amazing to see. Dreaming big is so important, but I also feel that we have to have some reality checks every now and then. :)

This year, you have branched outside our comfort zone with softball. You have never really liked sports, I think, because you don't like someone being in your personal space and being so competitive. Yes, you want to win, but you also want to have fun. I always tell people that anything you start, you want to start, and then BAM, you want to be awesome at it. Softball was hard for you because you had to work at it. I am proud of you for sticking it out and putting in effort, even though you didn't always want to.

I hope that age 8 is a magical time for you. I can see that you are growing so fast and I worry that the magic will start to disappear all too quickly. I hope that this year of 8 is a year of discovery, learning, and lots of love. Please know that no matter how much you grow or how old you get, you are forever my Ava-Boo.

I love you to the moon and back.

Love,
Momma