Happy Birthday Emily!

Today you are three.

You think you are six. You opened the t-shirt that I painted with ‘three’ in indigo and you exclaimed ‘oh six!’.

You have started counting ‘one, two, six, seven, eight…’

I get it. Six sounds better, six sounds bigger. I’ve been doing it all my life, wishing, wanting, hoping to be just a little bigger, a little better, a little more there. From where I’m standing three looks pretty perfect on you. 

You opened the stickers and shouted ‘oh stick-aas!’ excitedly.

You knew that the M&Ms were sweets but didn’t know what to call them, saying ‘maw-bles, I want to eat them!’

We sent you a present of This is San Francisco (with added photos of us), some tiny tiny dinosaurs for your collection, the aforementioned t-shirt and a few little bits and bobs. Melanie recorded you opening each present and sent them to me. I had to work hard to stifle laughter and hold back tears while watching the videos in work yesterday. I have watched them over and over since. You are such a gem. Missing being with you today breaks my heart in all the right places. 

You bring me so much happiness. I know, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again. You make me so excited to have children. You teach me patience, kindness, goodness. You embody love. 

I hope that I will always try and be my best self for you and your sister because you deserve nothing less. Sending love and hugs and kisses and so many silly games of hide and seek across the Atlantic for you today and always.