My Baby Girl

     So, how did I get this old?  I really don't know, can't figure it out.  How did time pass so quickly and how come I can't remember so much of what has happened?  Blah, blah I know another sad story.  Anyway, this one is actually happy!  Yup, well, kind of, in a mixed emotion sort of way.
     My baby girl, Jainie Elizabeth Belle, is five years old!!!  Yep, one whole hand as she likes to say.  How did it happen?  Not sure.  Am I happy about it?  Well, yes and no.  I think anyone who has kids understands.

Still so small, yet getting bigger every day

      Anyway, she is a sweetie.  She ALWAYS wants to help with everything.  She is my little shadow.  She will always take my side in an argument.  :) love this.  She always wants to be right by me.  She is a ray of sunshine.  The whole family adores her, she can do no wrong.  She LOVES having her picture taken and will give you all sorts of poses and fake smiles.  She loves being scared and we often hide from each other so we can jump out and scare each other.  But, she doesn't love surprises.  She is a girl who likes to be in control and likes to know what is going on.  She will pout and pout if you don't tell her what your up to.  She is very social and loves playing with other friends.  Yet, she can't wait til the kids go to school so she can dance around and play pretend by herself.  Her favorite play toys are dolls and stuffed animals.  Her favorite baby doll name is "Alice in Wonderland."  Her favorite color is PINK!  And, she will add purple and green now.  She has always wanted to grow up to be just like Josie and doesn't understand why Josie won't let her play with all of her stuff.  She wants to marry Jake and was honestly heart-broken the other day when Jake informed her, for the 1st time, that he would NOT marry her.  He has someone else in mind.  She just couldn't believe it.  She is now stumped, she has no idea who she will marry.  It threw her entire world into a spin.  I suggested Josh, but apparently he is too tall.  :(  Poor Josh, he would marry her in a heartbeat.  Apparently she is not a morning person but will stay up all night long entertaining you with stories or dancing and singing.  She loves having her fingernails painted and is really quite a girly girl.  She can't wait to have "shoulders"  (this is what she calls breasts:) and I am not willing to correct her).  She also loves chewing gum, she would have it in her mouth 24/7 if possible.  When she grows up, she wants to be the tooth fairy.  (She is magical, she could do it.)  Obviously, I am smitten with this little girl.

We always take breakfast in bed, but last year when we walked
 in singing, she told us to go away and hid under her blankie.  So this year,
we didn't mind that she woke up and then pretended to be asleep.  Thus the
darling smirk on her face.  I wish I were so excited for my birthdays.

     Some things she doesn't like are dogs and cats.  Really, I think any animal.  She is deathly afraid of them.  She doesn't mind them from a distance, but if one even starts moving her direction, she will scream and insist on being higher.  She is quite a picky eater and is always telling me she doesn't like certain foods.  When her dad, Jainie, & I go out to eat, she will usually get yogurt, chips, apple slices and always strawberry milk.  And, she wouldn't mind a cookie, either.  Oh, and she loves cottage cheese.  She doesn't like the older kids treating her like the baby, unless is has some beneficial point for her, then she will happily take it.

This was the birthday dinner that she chose.  She wanted it because it is what
the kids mostly take to school for their lunch.  I usually won't let her have frozen sandwiches
because we save them for school.  So, that is what she wanted, Smucker's frozen pb&j with
carrots and apple slices.  Oh, and chocolate milk.  Yum yum!  (I have to
admit, I really enjoyed her choice :)).

For her birthday cake, she wanted to decorate it herself.  So, we made a sprinkle
cake with pink frosting and she put everything else on herself.  She loved it!  And,
you'll notice she has a braid, her first one, she thought it was beautiful and VERY grown up.

Her piano, what she has wanted for a LONG time.  She had such a hard time
deciding which one she wanted.  At first she wanted a Barbie girl one.  But, then we
found this one which plays primary songs, she ultimately decided on this one, even
if it is a "boy piano" as she says.  

     Mostly, she just wants to be "grown up" like her brothers and sister.  And, mostly her dad and I just want her to stay little.  It is a constant struggle.  Raising children, I really didn't know it would be both so fulfilling and yet so heart-wrenching at the same time.  But, I'd do it over again in a minute.  :)

Her hat from preschool.  She loved it!  Not sure why
she chose blue, she said it was her favorite color that day.
I told you she likes to make faces!  

     Happy Birthday my little chippy.  We sure do love you!