5 years

Five years ago today my daughter was born. At the time I knew nothing about babies but what I'd learned in our hour-long parenting class at the hospital, and here we were presented with this little, fragile, red-faced, wrinkly person, who we were supposed to protect and care for well. I had the urge to hand her back, in panic. Shouldn't somebody who knows how to do this take her? What were we supposed to do now?

But we made it through the first couple of days at the hospital, when she was so hungry we had to supplement with formula...bottle after tiny bottle. We made it through the first 3 weeks of torturous breastfeeding. We made it through the fact that she never slept for longer than 45 minutes at a time, for nearly her first year. We proceeded on through her first cold, colic, an ear infection, through falls, cuts, bruises, and tantrums. Through a move, and preschool, and separation anxiety. Through time-outs and tears.

Along the way we also experienced the inexpressible joy of seeing her first smile, hearing her first laugh. Getting open-mouthed baby kisses on the cheek. Sleeping with the sweet, heavy weight of her on my chest, or curled next to us in our bed. Helping her learn to eat with a spoon, suck from a straw, walk. Hearing her first words grow into more, and more...until now, we can have real conversations together. Seeing her concentrate fiercely on a puzzle, and then leap around the house with joy when she did it--by herself. Reading to her, and now listening to her read. Singing to her, and then with her. Dancing. Playing. Getting daily hugs and kisses. Hearing her say "I love you" and watching her sleep.

She's not my baby anymore, I guess. But I think she's probably the coolest 5-year-old in the world. And these have been the best 5 years of my life.