The Journey of Parenthood…

Tess’s 5th Birthday Letter From Mommy

Tess’s 5th Birthday Letter From Mommy.

Dear Tessie,

Five is a big milestone and for some reason it’s a tough one for your mama.

I can’t believe you are half a decade old.

I can’t believe it’s been 5 years since I birthed my last baby from my womb.

I can’t believe you are in kindergarten.

My little Tessie. How is that even possible?

I look at you and can still picture exactly how you looked the moment you were born.

I can instantly be taken back to holding your sweet hands while you nursed.

Now you are a BIG GIRL!

This last year has been a year of BIG MOMENTS for our family.

You are super lucky to be the third child in so many ways.

Not only do you get to have two older siblings to look up to and to play with as well as a younger sibling to adore…but you get put into the “big kid category” much younger than your older siblings.

Fly to California? Check. Weekend at Universal? Check.

You get to have experiences so much sooner than we would have had the older two experience them and you’re truly the best one for the job!

You are SO go with the flow and SO flexible. I don’t know many four year olds who would do so well on a flight across the country AND adjust so easily and quickly to the time change!

I love that you are part of all of these memories together. You never “take away” from the experience…you only enhance every single one!

I am so proud of you and the choices you make.

You WANT to make good choices. You are the best kid in the fam at remembering to say “yes ma’am” and you are always letting us know when you aren’t involved in poor choice making…girl you love that recognition and make sure you get it 😉

You also have a very tender heart.

You are my emotional one, you cry quickly and easily and those huge tears just make my heart hurt!

When approached about a poor choice being made the tears come FAST and you are quick to try to say you didn’t know or didn’t do it or didn’t mean to. Def working on the whole accountability thing…but once you work through it you always apologize and just want to make it right.

I know you have a heart for the Lord and just love Him and your mom and dad and want everyone to be proud of you – and we are and always will be!

You are such a perfect blend in our family.

You connect really well with Kye as you think in similar ways and understand each other on a different level.

But you also ADORE Britt and seeing the two of you together is one of my absolute favorite things about being a mom.

You and Britt have such a great bond. You get along so well and truly just love each other so much. I LOVE that you are BEST friends!

And then there is Spear.

I never, ever thought a child could love their sibling as intensely as you love him. You smother him with your love (quite literally) and we joke constantly that his future wife is in trouble b/c he is SPOILED by his big sister!

Your last year of preschool was by far your best! It took you quite awhile to warm up to school in general and you found great friendships this year (Carter and Andrew) and spent many days snuggled up in your teacher’s lap.

School is nottttt your favorite thing and that’s okay, it’s not for everyone.

You do love learning and especially love “reading.” Even if you can’t read the words yet – you love looking through books!

My mama heart is nervous about kindergarten. You are the youngest child I’ve had go and while I know you are fully capable – you are MY BABY and I’m not quite ready to let you go!

Before we know it you will be in middle school, high school and college.

I know you will do amazing things in life and that right now are the times you will hold as sweet memories – and so will I.

You are SO nurturing and caring. For your siblings but also for animals and toys and any other pretend play game you and Britt make up.

Right now you want to be an animal doctor when you grow up but I’m pretty sure that dream will probably die just like it did for me once I learned that vets have to put animals to sleep…for now though we are rolling with it 😉

I know whatever you do you will do it with a passion and intense love.

You will be such an amazing mother as you really relate to the heart of people and understand empathy in such a big way.

You have always been very independent and quick to want to do things on your own.

You’re constantly making me laugh with the random outfits you put together and how you insist on wearing a fleece jacket outside in summer 🙂

It’s also so funny how excited you will be about a sleepover with your siblings (or even Mommy or Daddy) but then will ALWAYS end up asking to go to your own bed.

You like your space, your time to yourself.

Playing alone has never been a struggle for you – you enjoy that downtime and you will sit in your room for hours just sitting and playing without a care in the world.

As Britt is our obvious extrovert, you are the obvious introvert and I love that the two of you bring such different qualities to our family unit.

You’re the calm in the crazy girl!

Everyone still constantly says we look so much alike and I WILL keep mentioning it in every single birthday letter until the end of time (or until people stop saying it which I’m hoping is NEVER).

I feel bad for Daddy because he does NOT have a mini-me like I do!

It is such a cool experience having a child look, act, and think so much like me.

My prayer is that I’m always the kind of mom that you find it to be an honor when others comment on how alike we are.

I always want you to view it as a compliment and not a negative thing. I strive so hard to be the very best mother I can be to each of my children and when my girls say they want to be like me – it brings me more joy and fulfillment than anything else!

Even though we have a lot in common, never ever shy away from SHINING and being YOU. I never want you to feel like you HAVE to be like me or like Britt or like anyone else.

I want you to always keep that independent spirit and that strong sense of self.

I love all the memories we make together and I’m so excited for the memories to come.

I know the older you get, the more adventures we’ll take and I love hearing you remember back on fond travels we’ve taken.

We soak up the FUN and you are all about it!

As you enter kindergarten this year I hope you adjust well and are able to HAVE FUN.

I hope you find quick friendships and enjoy the learning process – it’d make me super pumped if you came home and said you now like school (but I also won’t be shocked if that isn’t the case)

I’ve loved soaking up summer with you – you still are holding onto that nap and you nap HARD.

You also are LOVING watching Star Wars now that we finished Harry Potter (and yes chalk that up to another example of you getting to do things younger than your siblings did/or would have).

I’m shocked at how well you’ve done with our movie nights – never complaining of bad dreams. You just snuggle close when parts may be a little scary and I don’t mind that one bit. 😉

You bring such light to every day and joy to everyone you meet.

Everyone ALWAYS comments on how adorably cute you are and they ain’t lying 😉 You are precious in every way!

Some of my favorite Tess things include:

  • How much you LOVE French fries
  • How obsessed you are with always eating neatly and cleanly
  • When you do something adorable and we ask you to do it again – how embarrassed you get
  • The high pitched voice you use when talking to Spear
  • How anytime we ride a ride at Disney together you tell me you’ll be brave for me like you were when I rode Splash Mountain.
  • How you cuddle me and say sweet things about how much you love me.
  • How somehow you always make your room a complete disaster.
  • The way you eat soooo slowly and just sit happily eating when everyone else is done.

When I think about you at a this age I always want to remember how hardcore you are about ALWAYS being right beside me.

You are truly my sidekick and my shadow and it’s a constant battle of the siblings over who gets to sit next to Mommy.

Those are some of my favorite moments because in those moments I know I must be doing something right as your mom for my babies to always want to be so close to me. I savor every second!

I am SO honored, blessed and grateful to be your mommy.

Never, ever doubt that for a single second.

I will love you forever and ever and ever.

I will always hold you when you feel sad, comfort you when you feel fear.

I will always take the time to tuck you in at night. Give you extra snuggles and kisses.

There is always a place for you by my side, in my lap and in my arms.

You are my daughter. I will forever be your biggest fan and I love you to the moon and back my baby girl!

Happy 5th Birthday!

I love you,

Mommy

Tess’s Past Birthday Letters From Mommy:

Emily Parker
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