Posted by Her Bad Mother on November 16, 2009 2:02 pm • Mush, emilia • 40 comments
Now We Are Four
Dear Emilia,
This weekend, you turned four years old. You were so excited to turn four years old. For months you asked how many weeks it would be before you turned four, and for weeks you asked that we count down the days until you turned four, and for days you insisted that we tick off the hours until you turned four, and when the day finally came you said “Guess what, Mommy? Today, I am FOUR.”
And I smiled and hugged you and said “yes, yes, I know.”
Because, how could I not? I too count the days. I have counted and marked and committed to memory every single day of your life. Every single day of your life has been one of the most precious days of my life and so, yes, I count them, I count them as yours and I count them as my own and I cherish every one. I have counted every day of this year, your fourth year, our fourth year. The day that you first rode your big-girl bike, the day that you first spelled your name, the day that you climbed up into your treehouse and declared it your Super Special Magic Castle, the day that you let your brother into your Super Special Magic Treehouse Castle Club, the day that you put him on the slide and pushed him out after making sure that I was down below. The day that you told me that you were a really good big sister, but sometimes not, because being good is hard. The day that you told your first poo joke. The day that you told your second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth poo jokes. The day that we moved on from poo jokes to pee jokes to pee jokes involving trolls and bridges and chickens and then back to poo jokes again.
The day that you told me that you wanted to learn three things – to play drums properly, to drive a race car, and to tie your shoelaces – and that it would be okay if learning to tie shoelaces came first. The day that you amended that list to include learning to ride a motorcycle and learning to be a doctor but only the kind that doesn’t give needles because needles are scary. The day that you joined your soccer team, and the day you first played goal. The day you decided that you didn’t like tofu wieners anymore. The day that you declared you would always love pickles. The day that you packed your own backpack and went to your first day of Big Kid School. The day you told me that you wanted to go to big kid school every day. The day you told me that you wanted to stay home because you loved me too much to go. The day you made your own pancakes from scratch, sort of. The day that you made your Grandpa a house in heaven. The day that you said you would love me forever. All the days that you said you would love me forever. All the days that I said I will love you forever, too.
All those days, I count them with you. We have counted so far now, and now you are four, and now we are four, and now you say to me, “Mommy, how many days until I am five?”
I’m counting them, sweetie. I’m counting them.
Love,
Mommy.
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Pamela-ATL. Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 11:19 am
Sweet. Made me tear up.
liz Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 11:19 am
I am SOBBING and laughing. Such a beautiful post!
liz´s last blog ..I love the Hunter Mill Democratic Committee
Ann Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 11:29 am
Okay, you did it. Now I am crying. It is so wonderful to watch them grow but it also so hard. Zane will be 4 in July and every day as I watch him grow I am faced with exactly how fast it does happen. His older brother just finished driver’s ed and will be getting his learner’s permit soon. It really does seem like just yesterday that he was doing the same things that Zane does today.
Thank you for sharing this. And happy birthday to your big beautiful girl.
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
It’s too fast, isn’t it? Much too fast.
Amanda Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 11:55 am
4 is magic, so is remembering.
Amanda´s last blog ..Larger than life
Mom101 Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 11:55 am
Very happy birthday to the wonderbaby turned wonderchild. She’s beautiful and special and magical to more than just her mama.
And yes, her counting down to 5 will start tomorrow. Trust me.
Mom101´s last blog ..Blogging Moms Wooed by Food Firms – My rambly two cents on the LA Times Article
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Thanks, lady. And the countdown to five? Started two minutes after she blew out the candles on four.
So.
Redneck Mommy Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 12:25 pm
Happy Birthday Mia!!
Aunty Tanis loves you very much and can’t wait to see you again.
I’ve got so much more to teach you my young Jedi.
Redneck Mommy´s last blog ..Itchy Trigger Finger
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
That’s great, Yoda. Because she needs to know more poo jokes like I need a hole in the head.
Yeah, I knew those came from you.
Assertagirl Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
Hope you had a fun birthday party, Emilia! You’re growing into such a beautiful, smart and funny person who I’m so happy to know.
Assertagirl´s last blog ..Six little words.
red pen mama Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
Happy Birthday, Emilia! And happy birth-day, Catherine. My older daughter just turned 5. I’m right there with ya.
ciao,
rpm
red pen mama´s last blog ..Success! (Or Four Down)
Pagey Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 3:18 pm
Awww, amazing. Really enjoying your blogs. Glenn
Lady M Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
Happy Birthday, Emilia! Wasn’t it just yesterday that she was Wonderbaby?
Andria Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
Happy Birthday sweet girl!
Andria´s last blog ..Oh, boy. Or, girl?
kgirl Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 4:14 pm
Four is crazy. Enjoy every moment. (Or, almost. Every is a bit of a hard sell.)
kgirl´s last blog ..Remembering
Heather @ Domestic Extraordinaire Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 4:21 pm
Happy Birthday Emilia, I am sure it was magical-just like you are each and everyday.
Heather @ Domestic Extraordinaire´s last blog ..Three….How can it Be?
Lisa Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 4:51 pm
You lost me at “committed to memory every single day of your life. Every single day of your life has been one of the most precious days of my life”
Every single?
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Yep. I can’t claim to be able to *pull* from memory every single moment, but they’re all there. Every day I think to myself, MUST REMEMBER THIS, ALL OF THIS.
And no, not every memory is happy-making. But it’s all precious. All of it, every single day of it, yes.
Even the ones with no sleep
Mom101 Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Lisa, this is just a wild guess here but…
this post isn’t about you.
Maybe tomorrow’s will be.
But probably not.
Mom101´s last blog ..Blogging Moms Wooed by Food Firms – My rambly two cents on the LA Times Article
caramama Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 4:56 pm
Happy Birthday, Emilia! Four is a wonderful age!
What a wonderful post… A beautiful tribute…
caramama´s last blog ..Question of the Week – Instrumental
jennifer martin Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 5:07 pm
Beautiful post! Four is a magical age.
After reading your last post and all of the comments, I am really curious what you did for her party.
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
I’ll be posting about that soon – I was really proud of myself
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
*buffs fingernails on shirt*
Rita Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 5:42 pm
And here’s hoping that those days go very very slowly.
Rita´s last blog ..Letters – REPOSTED for Veterans Day
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
especially the ones where I’m getting sleep
foradifferentkindofgirl (fadkog) Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 6:14 pm
I loved having four year old kids in the house. That is such an awesome age. Alas, one of my former 4 year old children is now 12, and almost as tall as me and I swear I hear his voice cracking, and OMG, before I know it, the years will whisk by and I’ll be attending a birthday party for his 4 year old! This all goes entirely too fast!
Happy birthday to your precious girl!
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 16th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Oh. I live in terror of that voice-cracking day. I went through it with my nephew and barely coped – how am I going to do it with my children?
Alison Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 6:18 pm
This was beautiful. This is what blogging is all about for me.
Alison´s last blog ..Welcome back
MadWoman Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 8:16 pm
What a great post and wonderful tribute to your daughter. I love it!
Amy Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 8:36 pm
My daughter hit Three And A Half yesterday and she was DELIGHTED–and that was with no fanfare or celebration or anything, really, other than the waffles she requested for breakfast. Her fourth birthday is going to be much cause for celebration. I try to not say “I can’t wait…” about anything, because right now is pretty wonderful too, but I really am looking forward to celebrating another year with my amazing girl.
pamela Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 10:23 pm
that was beautiful. so heartfelt
The Stiletto Mom Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 10:44 pm
So very sweet, and she is so beautiful. Enjoy this time, it passes to quickly and soon they are 10 and 8 like mine. Not that 10 and 8 is bad, just 4 is so much more…CUDDLY.
Enjoy her Catherine, she is beautiful.
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I so know. I know that I’m going to miss four, much.
Lisa Canning Said,
November 16, 2009 @ 11:10 pm
Oh sigh, this is a lovely, lovely post. I have so much to look forward to with my 7 month old. Thanks for reminding me what an incredible journey parenting is and to enjoy every moment of my son’s life!
So the party was a hit? And did you make it home in time?
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I did make it home in time, and the party was a hit – I’m going to post about it soon
LAVENDULA Said,
November 17, 2009 @ 2:59 am
aww happy birhtday sweet wee girl! my youngest is 5 and she is so precious and funny! her knock knock jokes and fits and i love you mommies are so sweet….
mommymae Said,
November 17, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
so so sweet, catherine. we try to remember it all, don’t we? yet it so fleeting.
mommymae´s last blog ..of giveaways and such
Christy Said,
November 17, 2009 @ 2:46 pm
Sigh. I remember four with my two oldest. A really sweet sweet age for both. They are now 8 and 6, which are both sweet in their own ways. But, well, just sigh.
6512 and growing Said,
November 19, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
Four is big, very, very big. Thank you for the reminder that every day is precious, even if filled with poop jokes and real poop. Precious, still precious.
6512 and growing´s last blog ..You’ve come a long way baby
Her Bad Mother Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Four IS big. At least, that’s what she tells me.