Ten

Recently: Not to soon after dad gets up for the day, she crawls into our bed and we cuddle and fall back asleep in the early morning/before getting alarm.  Suddenly, quickly, surprisingly, the feeling strikes me..the feeling of anticipatory loss...she is 10 now.  How many more cuddles are left?  She is my baby, my youngest child...and she is growing up.  I look at her beautiful, sleeping face and lightly resting body as it moves gently up and down as she breathes....and I feel the loss of my baby...and I wonder at the person she is becoming....

Ten. Ten Years Old.  We opened her Time Capsule that we made on her first birthday.  It was strange to see pictures of her and Michael...to see the cards sent by people to celebrate her 1st birthday.  I had all my blog posts printed regarding the IVF (she sailed past those papers to look at the bibs that I had saved from her first Christmas and Hanukkah).  

Willow at Ten...she is an interesting array of complexities.  She likes to be alone, she is silly and wants to be part of the group; she likes horror movies, yet doesn't always like to be scared.  She loves to read--but spends a bit too much time on her Kindle playing video games.  She loves being outside and running around; but sometimes she just wants to veg out and not get out of her pajamas all day.  She is very smart, but can sometimes ask the most naive questions.  She can play the piano and sing, but hates to practice.  She wants to be a doctor, but seems to shy away from science and math.  She likes drawing; hates coloring.  She is definitely NOT a morning person.  She LOVES chocolate.  

She is so much more than anything I can write here.  She is always surprising me with some new trait.

Ten years....seems so long ago and yet so quick. I cannot imagine my life without her.  

I cannot believe my luck to have such a wonderful human to watch grow.

BBQ for Birthday Dinner!