Dear Lilly,

You are most definitely growing up too fast.  It seems like yesterday that I brought you home from the hospital.
 Two weeks before you were due, I had a regular check up with the midwives.  Surprise!  You have Preeclampsia!  Head straight to the hospital they are waiting for you.  Yikes!  Very scary for a first time Mom!  16 hours later you were here!  I had a C- section that they had to put me to sleep to do.  So when I woke your Daddy was there and asked me if I wanted to see my beautiful baby girl.  He said "She has curly hair and hairy triceps"  I didn't say a word when he put you in my arms I just stared in awe.  I was told that when they brought you out to your Daddy, Grandma Andrews was waiting out there with him and that they both sat there and cried.  (Tears of joy not sadness).

You walked at 8 months and had a pretty good vocabulary by the time you were a year old.   When you were 18 months old I was out in the foyer  at church and you pointed to picture on the wall and said "That's Jesus."  I got daily comments about how well you could speak and how little you were.  You had a lot to say and couldn't wait to get saying it.  You are still our little social butterfly.  You love to be right in the action.  You waste no time making friends.  I think you got it from your Grandma Begay.  She was a popular social lady too.
You are definitely not a home body.  You always loved to be out and about.  I could take you to any store and you'd be happy for hours.
You never liked dolls.  Ever.  I finally got rid of them because you wouldn't play with them.  You liked balls and cars, superheros and playing outside.  You liked princess stuff for about 4 months and then you were over it and you haven't looked back since.
You like my kind of music and haven't been persuaded by other kids to like Hannah Montana or ICarly or any of the other stuff.   You came home one day and told me that you had heard some bad new that day.  Your best friend likes Hannah Montana but you proudly announced that you like The Ramones.  I was so proud that you stood up for what you liked.  That was something I always struggled with.  You've said to me before "I'm the only one in the whole school who doesn't like I Carly."  I just try and reassure you that you don't have to like that just because everyone else does.  It's hard to be different.  I know, because I was too.
You've always had your own style.  By the time you were 3 you no longer wanted me to pick out clothes and if I bought something you didn't like, you wouldn't wear it.  A little young for that don't you think?

You love to play with your brother although it wasn't always that way.  You were terrified of him when we first brought him home from the hospital.  You would cry every time we got in the car because you had to sit by him.  If he cried (which was all the time) you did too.

You love to make books and cards.  You like fantasy and superhero movies.   You love cats.  You love, love, love, hearts!   You've told me that you don't know what to be when you grow up because, "there are too many things to be."  It changes from day to day between: A rock star, a card maker, a dress maker,a book maker, an astronaut, an explorer, a pirate, a teacher, a mom, an acrobat, a doctor, a tooth maker, and an artist.
You've always loved acting out story's too.  I used spend hours with you acting out the Peter Rabbit story and The Three Little Pigs.  The Wind in the Willows was also a favorite.  You've always loved books and loved being read to.  I made it a point to read to you every night.

You are a sweet little girl and also very sensitive.  Every day before you walk into the school you kiss my hand and make me kiss yours.  "So that when we get sad we can put our hands to our faces and have a kiss."
Your also very considerate of others.  At the beginning of the school year, at your "Meet Your Teacher" night, your teacher let you choose (as you were leaving) either one big (Blow Pop, your favorite) sucker or 2 dum dums.  I thought for sure you'd choose the Blow Pop.    You chose the two dum dums so Max could have one too.  You always do things like that to melt my heart.
I'm so glad you came into our lives and I love you lots and lots.  You came at just the right time I believe.  You made me a mother and have taught me lots over the past 6 and half years.  I'll love you forever.
Love, Mom