Madelyn is seven

Oh, it's so hard to believe, but it's true. My first baby isn't a baby at all anymore. Being hormonal and pregnant and celebrating birthdays of my other kids makes for a lot of trips down memory lane and teary eyes. I just keep thinking about how fast seven years have gone by. When I was exhausted and really hormonal and holding Madelyn during her first few weeks of life, the thought of what she would be like when she was seven didn't cross my mind. But now this baby (not a baby) is seven and I do wonder what her next seven years will bring.
And, now that I'm pregnant with baby number 4, I wonder what this new baby will be like when he/she is born, 6 months old, 1 year old, 5 years old, seven years old, etc.

Madelyn is smart, pretty, funny, logical, and inquisitive. She is also determined and we're working on keeping that determination focused on postivite things. She is so head-strong and independent. This can make parenting a challenge at times, but I know it will serve her well as she gets older. We just have to make sure this independence is channeled in the proper direction.

For her birthday, she took cupcakes to school and we celebrated at home. We will have a bigger family celebration next month.

We love you, Madelyn, and are so glad you are part of our family.

She did get her ears pierced, which was a pretty incredible adventure and a topic for another post.



I'm surrendering part of my pride by showing you this picture of the cake. The structural integrity was quite poor. It was delicious, though, and Madelyn didn't seem to mind.