You're Seven Years Old!

Dear Lila,

The other day, you suddenly started crying softly and I asked you what was wrong. You said you were thinking about how you would have to move out of our house when you're a grown-up and that the thought of it was making you sad. I hugged you and said you didn't have to worry about moving out for a long time. You're only 7! But then again, you're already 7! It's funny when you have kids, how they can simultaneously seem so little and so big at the same time.

This was obviously an exciting year for you because you have a new baby sister! Life with four kids is cuh-RAZY but I can always count on you to help me, whether it's getting towels for MuiMui's diaper changes or entertaining your sister so that she doesn't cry while I grab a load of laundry out of the machine. I love how you gaze adoringly at MuiMui, how excited you are when you get to hold her and how much you love her. MuiMui loves you, too, and smiles at you whenever she sees you.

You are such a good sister, to MuiMui and to both of your brothers. GuhGaw tends to pick on you a lot (ugh, older brothers) but you always do nice things for him, such as sharing your after-school snack or giving him the shell-shaped spoon we have (something you both covet whenever we have soup for dinner). Meanwhile, you and DiDi are still best buddies and play together so nicely. I often overhear you two pretending to run a restaurant together or imagining that you are in school together. On weekends, you still have sleepovers and sleep together in DiDi's bed. You definitely don't get much sleep and you said DiDi often hogs the blanket (haha!), but you guys love being together.

Your interests are still the same: reading (so much!), art projects (you go to art class every Saturday and love it), unicorns, dolls, wearing dresses and eating! You definitely have the biggest appetite of all of the kids and like so many different kinds of food. I love that you have such a sophisticated palette and that you enjoy everything from salmon sushi to roasted Brussels sprouts.

Happy birthday to my big little Lilabear!

Love,
Mom

Cute and Cuddly

Dear Lila,

Unsurprisingly, things have gotten a LOT busier with the arrival of your baby sister. She nurses every couple of hours and likes to be held (and cries when she is not), so I haven't been able to spend much time with you and your brothers. You have been incredibly understanding about that, though, and not at all jealous. I really appreciate that, along with the occasional moments the two of us do get to spend together.

Tonight was one of those moments--Daddy was holding MuiMui, your brothers were already in bed and it was still relatively early so I came into your room and said, "If you get into bed now, I can cuddle with you." Your face lit up, you jumped up and said, "Cuddle? YAY!" You ask me to cuddle with you a lot but I often can't because it's a school night and you need to go to sleep or I have housework I need to finish before it gets too late. I cuddle with you whenever I can, though, and I love our nighttime talks. It also makes me so happy that our cuddle time makes you so happy and seeing your joyful surprise over our unexpected cuddle tonight so warmed my heart. I hope we have many more cuddles in store!

Love,
Mom