Happy Birthday, Eliza

My dearest Eliza,

It’s your seventh birthday. I wondered how long it would be before your birthday was just your birthday and not the anniversary of the day I didn’t die. Apparently, seven years. Because today, I’m just thinking about you.

Today, I’m grateful you’re here with us. Last weekend, we had Chinese food from a new place, and apparently they use peanut oil and don’t advertise it because you had a horribly severe allergic reaction and spent most of Saturday night in the ER with your dad while I spent the night with Griff assuring him that you would be ok. We’re glad you’re ok and that you’re here with us. Just like seven years ago, our family needs an Eliza. 

Your daddy says he’s not ready for you to be seven, and you say that he can’t be not ready until you get out of the ‘ones.’ I think he’s never going to be ready for his little girl to grow up. But you do seem to be growing up.

You stretch me. You push me and pull me and twist me and, quite frankly, you confound me. You are not easy, but then, neither am I. Much to my dismay, you are more and more like me each day. There are days that I’m embarrassed by that and days when I’m quite proud of that. Depends on the day. Some day, you’ll have to determine for yourself which traits fall into which category.

But I can tell you this. You are strong and you are opinionated and you are loyal. I am proud of you. We recently had you tested and discovered that you have some fairly significant hearing loss (is that a result of your father’s heritage or of your prematurity?), and the doctor says it may affect your ability to process sounds and, thus, your ability to read. But, sweetie, you’re doing great. We are crazy proud of how well you’re doing in first grade.

You have made friends with the girls down the street, and it’s rare that you, Isabella and Bri-Bri aren’t together. I look forward to seeing the three of you grow up together. Griff, of course, gets a little tired of little girl giggles. I tell him that some day he won’t mind all of the girls in the house. He says that by that time, he’ll have moved out. He’s probably right. By then, it’ll just be you, me and your daddy.

Let’s see… what should you know about you at this moment in time? You are a little fashionista. You love to shop & you believe that fancy is appropriate all the time. However, you believe that brushing your teeth is appropriate only some of the time. Rarely, even. You are currently addicted to Barbie. Griff hates finding naked Barbies around the house, which makes you laugh, which makes your daddy and me laugh.

We’re currently taking turns reading the first Harry Potter book to you, and it’s fun to watch as we all seem to gather together regardless of who happens to be reading that night. You are such fun as you figure out that Hermione is the smart one of the three. May she inspire you.

We’ve begun attending church after forever of not, at your urging. Thank you for that. I told you, Eliza, you make us all better.

You make us laugh. You say the funniest things. When you aren’t throwing a horrible, crazy, dramatic fit, you are some of the most fun I’ve ever had. I think the two of us are going to have great fun together in the years to come.

We love you Eliza. Happy birthday, my precious.

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