5 years

I told you I had a sappy "Harper is 5 years old" post.  Here it is.

Baby Girl,
It was five years ago that you entered this world SCREAMING before you were even fully birthed.  I remember barely being able to hear Dr. Howard say "What did you think this baby was?" To which Daddy and I both replied, "a boy."  And then he said the words that changed the course of our family forever, "She's gonna be a funny looking boy." At which point Daddy looked down at me and said (in complete shock) "It's a girl." I literally burst into tears.  I always thought that was a figure of speech, but tears really did burst from my eyes.  Because I was flat on my back on the operating table, these tears all slid into my ears.  It was the start of a wild ride.
Tiny girl, we have really had our ups and downs.  You were a great baby, not as friendly to others as your brother, but you were great to us.  The toddler/2/3 phase was not our finest moment.  There were some fun things, but mostly, I was just confused by you.  And that confusion led to a lot of frustration on my part.  But then you turned 4. And the sun finally shone out from behind the clouds.  This past year with you has been magical.  Everything I thought having a little girl would be.
You and I go and get our nails done together.  You love this and would do it every week if the finances were there.  You spent 5 hours at the outlet mall with me.  We shopped til we dropped.  And you were so helpful!  We were shopping mostly for Daddy and you helped me decide on things for him.  It was glorious. You're my Kroger buddy.  I actually prefer to take just you to the store now.  You are such good company. This was our last year of Friday "girl days."  And it was great.  I think I will always look back on those days with fondness.
You are so kind and loving.  You are very generous with your praise and encouragement of others.  You love it when I wear a skirt or dress to work and will always tell me how pretty I look.  And then you usually run and change into a similar outfit so we will look alike.  I love that.  It makes me so happy that you see me as worth imitating.
You still have a distinct sense of style.  I no longer shop for you without taking you with me.  If I run across something I think you would like and you're not with me, I text Daddy a picture to show you to get your approval.  More often than not, I leave the store without it! :)
You and Garrett get along so well.  People comment all the time how impressed they are with your relationship. You certainly have your fussy moments, but for the most part, there is a lot of love between you.  It makes me so happy to see the bond between you two strengthen.
Overall, Harper, I cannot wait to see what this years brings for us.  This past year has been one of the most joyous of my whole parenting journey.  You are just so easy.  I love being with you.
I am so thankful for you, my gift from our most faithful Heavenly Father.
Happy Birthday tiny girl.  No matter how big you get, you'll always be my tiny, pink girl.
I love you more than you'll ever know.  Unless you get lucky enough to grow up and have your own daughter one day.