Dear AnnaLynne,
My youngest child. My little girl. My wild child. My absolutely, positively already difficult child.
You were trouble from the very beginning. I threw up from the moment you were conceived to the moment you were born. Only gaining 3 pounds my whole pregnancy. And you were difficult in labor too. Coming out with the cord wrapped around three times, not breathing, and bluer than I knew a body could get. And you were hard to get to sleep most nights. Self-soothing not in your dictionary. And the list has just been adding from there on. Still sweet. Healthy and strong. But also so dang wild.
You like to test your boundaries, outside the reach of normal testing. I have had your brother and plenty of cousins to compare it to, so trust me on this.
You do the polar opposite of whatever we tell you to do most of the time.
You don't listen...like ever.
You like to get your brother all riled up beyond belief, making the house sound like some energetic WWE match on a regular basis.
You have THE loudest banshee scream that echos in the hallways at all hours of the day and night.
You are stubborn. So, so very stubborn.
I often have to question where I've already went wrong as I look between you and your brother. Who also has his share of moments of being wild. Bit it sometimes feels like you have the same amount of moments of behaving "well".
Because you are untamed.
But being wild and untamed isn't all bad, crazy stuff.
Because let me tell you what else you are...
You are sensitive and compassionate. You have a tough exterior with melty insides. You are sweet and kind. You are so gentle with other kids and animals. You are silly with plenty of giggles. You are kind of an old soul. You dance all day long. You love eating your vegetables. You are so brave. You are strong-willed.
And I wouldn't change a damn thing about you. Because if I traded all of those challenges, I would lose all of the joys that come with raising such a beautiful and loving little girl.
Sure, you're difficult sometimes. But difficult isn't the worst thing.
You're my baby. My wild child. My absolutely, positively beautiful child. Inside and out. Wild, yet warm. Tender, yet tough, Salty, yet sweet. And extraordinary and true!