Baby #1 Turns 7!

Just after your 6th birthday

6 1/2 - Your first time back to the GI since your celiac diagnosis. The Dr. was very happy with what we told him about you and all of your test results came back looking great!

Just before your 7th birthday.

Dear Natalie,

You are 7. How did this happen? Everyone talks about how time goes by so fast and I look at you and know it's true. You are 7. I am the mother of a 7 year old. A second grader. A kid who can ride a bike, go play with friends, read, write, and pull out her own teeth. It's almost more then I can handle. First grade was great for you this year. You have learned so much! We sit down at dinner and have these conversations with you and I wonder where the time has gone. You now not only talk about your day, but you are interested in what we have done during our day as well. I can only imagine what the upcoming year will bring. Here are some more things about you right now that stand out.

• Your friendships are very important to you. Everyday you are hoping to go outside and play with neighborhood friends. We are so lucky to have a lot of great people around us. Not only do you want to play, you bring Macie with you. I know it's not always what you want to do, but she looks up to you and is SO BORED when you are at school all day! You are also a very good friend. You are always looking out for others and your kind heart sometimes takes over and you forget to worry about yourself. 
• As of right now you have lost 4 teeth. 3 on the bottom and 1 on the top. The other one is loose, so I'm sure it will come out soon. We were also told by the dental hygienist that she has never seen a 6 year old know how to brush so well! 
• Every time you see a space big enough, and sometimes a space NOT big enough, you are practicing your cartwheels. Tumble, tumble, tumble. You have now gotten good enough that your legs go up and down without any problems. Your next goal: handstands. Let's pray for a strong neck.
• Wipe out. It finally happened. You have has small falls on your bike, but this last one was a doozy. You went out on a bike ride recently with your dad and sisters and after about 10 minutes, I got a call from Daddy saying you fell, and it was a good one. (I could hear you screaming.) You made it back home just fine, but were pretty shook up. It didn't help that blood was running down your leg. We got you inside and cleaned up and now you show your war wound off to whoever will take a look. 
• You continue to love school. Reading has not come as easily for you but you work very hard at it. You see your Title One teacher almost every day and enjoy picking out books to read to us at home. You struggle at times, but once you realize that you can do it, instead of feeling defeated, you breeze through your books.
• You are a happy kid. There isn't a lot of days that we don't see your smile. You are also picking up on Mommy and Daddy's sarcasm, although you aren't throwing it back at us like that middle sister of yours. You continue to aim to please. And very seldom disappoint.
• Evie continues to be in love with you. Not only Evie but Eli, Easton and Brody as well. All the babies born in 2010. You know how to make them giggle and play with them. They can all say your name now and you are the first one to run and give them hugs when we visit. 

As always, this list is shortened. I want to remember you like this. I want to remember you at this age. Each year will bring something new and each year I forget a little more about what the past years were like. You have two sisters behind you, watching your every move and you are doing an amazing job showing them the ropes. We are SO proud of you and the little person you have become. 

I love you more then words can say.

Mommy.