Five!

Lydia turned five yesterday. It seems so strange to me that she was four because she has been getting so big and learning so much. A lot of people say things like, "Can you believe she's five already?!" and yes, I can. In fact, I almost can't believe she's not a teenager yet. I feel like I've known her forever and I'm constantly amazed by how big she is.

Lydia has always been able to make me laugh. She has always been very silly and very smart. The things she sometimes says are pretty awesome. I remember when she first started counting and we were amazed. I remember when she learned the alphabet and we couldn't believe it. Now she explains to me what a hypothesis is (An idea that can be tested!), tells me all about the solar system (Did you know the sun is a STAR?!?!), and listens intently and asks questions as I explain the water cycle to her. She has a thirst for knowledge that fills me with pride.

She also cares deeply for her friends. I love seeing the little trinkets her friends trade her on the school bus and at school. I'm curious what she gives them when she returns with broken buttons, Happy Meal toys, and Hindu prayer cards. She is friendly with everybody. She frequently comes home from school to tell me about her new friends. When we're in the grocery store, she waves and says, "hi!" to people. She's also very sweet to her sisters, and frequently tells them she loves them. She fights with them, but when it comes down to it, she is very concerned about them and rushes to help them when they need it.

Lydia has ALWAYS been a performer. Even as a baby, she would flirt and smile at anybody who paid her any attention. As she got older, she would set up stages and sing and dance. Whenever I video record her, she does a huge intro like a newscaster. When she first started getting into watching TV, she would watch a show and then act like the story was her own and everything she just saw happened to her. She remembers movie scenes and lines and reenacts them. She absolutely loves an audience.

I love her big, blue eyes. I love her crazy mess of curls. I love her big smile.

So, happy birthday to my little Lyd-face, who has brought so much joy into my life. I remember how nervous we were to meet her. I remember those last few weeks before she was born, how we understood that in just days, our lives would change forever. I remember before I went into the hospital to be induced the next morning, Jayson and I ate dinner for his birthday and just kind of looked at each other like, "Holy crap, this is it." We knew a change was coming, we just didn't understand just how great that change would be.