Anna Kate's birthday letter

April 1, 2007

Sweet Anna girl,

I used to sing you a song when you were first born:

Sweet Anna girl
Sweet Anna girl
Pretty little pearl
Sweet Anna girl

This is the year your sweetness has really come out. Your heart has turned toward Jesus, and you’re growing into such a sweet young lady. I love the way that you just start spontaneously singing your own made up songs of praise to Jesus for whatever has made you happy. I love to hear your very original and always sincere prayers.

You still love all things girly. Especially ballet this year, and particularly Twelve Dancing Princesses. We wach that movie all the time! Your favorite characters are Genevieve and the chiclets (or triplets, as they are more commonly known). Your favorite line form the movie is “How Romantic!” You’re such a lovely dancer. Joy just spills over from you in the most graceful movements.

You love tights and want to wear dresses every day. Not even skirts or last years beloved jumpers will do. You feel the need to wear princess clothes and everyone knows that princesses wear beautiful dresses. While you don’t fuss about wearing your flowered jeans and pink pants much anymore, a girly pink dress is your preferred garment.

You still have a bit of a wicked streak, but over all are a much tamer lass than a year ago. I just love to spend time with you. You’re such a good shopping buddy. And you love shoes too. You’d like to wear ballet or dress up princess shoes everywhere, but you sure did love your pink boots this winter; I’m so glad that I got them for you. Now we’re back to flip flop weather and you couldn’t be happier. You’ve loved flip flops since before we could find ones small enough to fit your two year old feet.

You are a Southern girl. It still cracks me up that given a choice of foods, you nearly always choose grits. You could live on grits!

You love to “snuggle up in our sleeping bags and watch a movie.” You still love to sleep with Puppy (and Taggie too until I hid it away to help you quit sucking your thumb). You have loved your thumb well all of these years, but you did it, Anna baby! You’ve stopped sucking your thumb in time for your birthday so that you can be a real princess and have princess teeth! I’m so proud of you!

You’re getting to be so smart too. I can’t believe how well you’ve been writing letters and how well you recognize letters and numbers. I haven’t spent much time teaching you the way I taught Ethan, but you don’t miss a thing. You’ve learned so much right alongside him this year and I bet by the time I write this next year, you’ll be the one reading books to me.

You don’t want to get any older and grow up, but I promise Anna Kate, that no matter how old or how big you grow, you will always be my baby and I will always love you.

You delight me, pretty child. I’m so glad that God chose me to be your Mommy.