Eight remarkable years....

To my bewitchingly beautiful first born:

I apologize that it has taken Mama so long to mark your 8th birthday here in our "story" but it has been an extremely busy last few months.  As we all know oh so well and are probably so sick of hearing about, Mama was studying for a big test and took it the day before Christmas.  So let's focus on the fact that I still managed to even have a Christmas, instead of the fact that I am one month late commemorating your special day. 

I will start with how profound my love is for you.  You are truly one of a kind.  Last night I was watching you sleep and even then, you managed to make me laugh.  You are so very generous and loving to every one around you.  You are all the things that I could have ever dreamed up to have delivered to me there in my hospital room in New York City on that cold November day in the year 2000.

I remember clearly, the day that Dad and I brought you home from the hospital and I can not even believe that it has been eight years.  Eight years of laughter, tears, scrapes and bumps, great achievements, but most of all eight years that we have been given to love you like I knew that I would since the day I myself was only eight years old.  You were made for me and Dad and we will never tire of you.      

To mark this occasion, we had a party at a great party place that Mama was very pleased with compared to some of our past birthday parties.  They made you feel like such a princess and you as well as your friends, had a wonderful time.

I wish that I could keep you at this age as you are just so sweet and thoughtful, although the back talk which occurs approximately 95 percent of the time, I could easily do without but we are tackling that one (wink, wink).  Although I do so look forward to how you will grow and mature as we head into this year of EIGHT. 

I wish you continued happiness and have no doubt that you will always manage to find a way to have exactly that, happiness.  

Love always,

Mama