FOUR Sure!

I love going back to the start.
My sweet Nev.

How can it be that you are four already?

I can remember fondly waiting in the lobby of the doctor's office waiting on the ultrasound. You know. 
The BIG ultrasound. 
I can remember calling my mom afterwards and telling her "think pink!!" 
We were so excited!
You were a baby girl.

The rest of the pregnancy was pretty uneventful.
Until about 37 weeks. When I found out you were breech. 
Most babies turn on their own, if they are going to turn... and you, my darling, were just not turning.
So naturally, I panicked.
And started googling ways to turn a breech baby the second I left that office.
After researching and trying many {weird} theories, I happened upon moxibustion.
A chinese hogwart {stogie} that you light like incense and burn. Placing the heated end near the edge of the pinky toe.
I mail rushed the $4.00 sticks to the house after reading that babies are unlikely to turn after 38 weeks, and waited {impatiently} for them to arrive. They finally did on a Saturday.
After using them for almost two days, I remember sitting on the couch with daddy watching Monday Night Football and actually felt you flip. I knew the appointment the next day would reveal that you had turned, and in fact, you had!

I was so relieved.
And, ready to meet you.

 Your daddy and I would walk briskly through the neighborhood pushing your brother in the stroller. 
Just waiting. 
Waiting for labor to start. Waiting for even the slightest feeling of a contraction. 
Or perhaps a gush of fluid from my water breaking.
Waiting for our October pumpkin.
 But it just wasn't happening.
After deciding that I just wasn't progressing on my own, and because at this point in the pregnancy I was just too impatient to wait any longer...
I opted for an induction.

It was a Tuesday.
You were officially due October 12th, but my doctor only performed inductions on Tuesdays... so here we were. October 13th, 2009.
I began receiving Pitocin and they artificially broke my water at noon.

Not soon after {5 hours later actually} you arrived.

You were the easiest of all my labors.

You gave them a good throaty cry after suctioning, and they placed you on my chest. 
Your dark sparkling eyes met mine and you quickly quieted down. Only softly making noise.
I held your warm pink skin to mine for a few moments before they scooped you up to wipe you off and collect your stats for the records.
You were simply beautiful.
The most beautiful girl I had ever seen in fact.
Your full head of hair was jet black and nearly two inches long.
You had ten fingers and ten toes.
My nose.

Your daddy wept tears of joy as he cradled you in his arms for the first time.
We had such love for you already.
And couldn't wait to bring you home.




Fast forward to four years later and... 
You are just as sweet as sweet gets.
From your {dainty} little 37 3/8" and 31 3/4lb self. 

To the way that you show the very depth of your soul, right through your big brown eyes.
You carry your heart on your sleeve.

You are sensitive but have a flare for standing up for yourself when necessary.

You are witty. And funny.

And have a great laugh. Random people have commented when we have been out about your laugh. How it has spontaneously made them chuckle because it is so genuine. And loud.

You will laugh even if you don't know why you are laughing sometimes.

And can often be found acting as "little momma".

Often scolding Nolan if he won't share, or is doing something he shouldn't.

You are eager to help Nash if he is crying. Giving him his pokey, or dangling a toy to occupy him while I get lunch together.

And will try and accommodate your sister for requests from the kitchen. Washing apples. Or getting her string cheese and even unwrapping it for her.

You like to make crafts with markers and stickers.

Oh.

The stickers.

I was literally just telling your daddy the other day how someday we will miss the scraps of paper from your scissor cuts, and sticker papers lying all over the kitchen table, and the floor.
You and your brother could doodle for hours.

I can easily spend a dollar at Michaels or the Dollar Tree on a book of 495 stickers, and you are lost in creativity for days.

You can dress yourself. But often put your shirt on backwards.

And I almost always have to help you with your shoes.

Not because they have laces, because in fact you don't own any shoes with laces right now, but because you cannot get the tongue in right, or the zipper won't zip, or you can't make your feet fit.

You will breathe loudly, stomping your feet on the tile in the foyer before asking for my help.

You still fight me on brushing your hair. But we are working through the tangles one day at a time.

You sing the ABC's in groups. In random order. And when I try to correct you, you tell me that you already know, but you like it that way.

We have started working on writing your name. And, I expect that very soon your pictures of circle people will have a signature across the top or bottom. Or sides. 

You like to sing songs.

Especially to Nash.

And just the other day, you were wooing me with Joe Nichols, "Sunny and 75". 

A girl after my own {country} heart!

You are a delight to be around.

And recently you like to be everywhere that I am.

Even in our own home. 

Which can get a little complicated at times. I am still not sure how I feel about being watched while I go pee. But right now, I just let you be who you need to be. Even if that means we have a conversation in the bathroom.


I am simply, so proud of who you are already.
Nevaly.

My sweet Nibbles.

 

Happy Fourth Birthday!

 

Love,

Momma