as i watched, my breath caught in my throat...

and reality suddenly smacked me in the face when i realized she's not a baby anymore. not even a toddler. she's growing up into an amazingly spirited little girl.


a little girl who still doesn't say her alphabet properly, and loves Tom & Jerry cartoons way too much. a little girl who loves to wear spiderman underoos, and would rather hunt for slugs than dress up like a princess. a little girl who is absorbing the world around her like water to a sponge, and can remember song lyrics like non-other. a little girl who declares everyone she meets as her "best-friend", and smothers you in hugs and kisses whenever you enter the room.


a little girl who can sign her own name to a greeting card, even though the "E" has grown appendages somewhere along the way. tell me when in the world did she learn how to write?

she was born. i blinked. and now she's nearly 5. and. can. write. her. own. name!

slow down, little girl. stop growing up so fast, would ya?

for now, i suppose i'll be extra thankful that she's my little girl who still needs her mama.

(and yes, i realize this is typical kid progression, but it's shocking nonetheless when you realize for the first time that it's your baby that's no longer a baby. *sniff*)