"The One and Only Ever You"

"On the night you were born,
The moon smiled with such wonder
That the stars peeked in to see you
And the night wind whispered,
“Life will never be the same.”
Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world."

- Nancy Tillman, "On the Night You Were Born"

My Dearest Stella,

Look how far we have come.  From that tiny 6 pound babe, to the sassy, loving, vibrant girl over halfway through her third year of life.  Your spirit is a strong one.  It is strong, but it is tender.  It is wild, yet it is tame. Really, it is hard to put you into words.  I think I am sort of glad about that, though.  You are far too great to simply be condensed into a few inadequate sentences.  But of course, I am going to try.

It's been a pretty big few weeks for you, sweet girl.  We moved (again!), you spent a week away from mom and dad and with your beloved Nanas, and we re-entered the world of schedules and structure.  For more than a year you have longed to start going to school.  Your ultimate dream included all of your best friends and riding a large, yellow school bus; but instead we are going to start a bit smaller than that- for all of our good.  On September 17th you began preschool at Pumpkin Seeds Preschool near our new home in Twin Falls, Idaho.  Your teacher is Mrs. Brownlee, a sweet, loving woman from our new ward. Every Tuesday and Thursday, from 9:00-11:30 am, you spend time practicing your name, learning about letters, and singing songs.  It is a perfect first step for both of us, although your little shadow is not so sure.  Eliza is having quite the adjustment period without her beloved older sister.  It is the sweetest, most heart breaking few minutes listening to her call out for and mourn the loss of her Stella.  She loves you so, and you are doing a wonderful job being her big sister and her greatest example.  Thank you for playing the role of the eldest child so well.

Along with the start of school came the start of dance class.  It will be interesting to watch you develop your passions and talents in this life, as right now I cannot picture you anywhere but on the stage.  Music, dance, and imagination speak to you, and I love watching you embrace your inner creativity.  You are excited to be doing some tap lessons this year, and I felt pretty proud on parent day watching you listen intently to your teachers and memorize your steps; even if your balance was a bit shaky.  Your next dream is to become a famous gymnast, so we are working on making room in the budget for a winter gymnastics session.  Your love for everything good in life is contagious.

Of course the last few weeks and months haven't been all rainbows and butterflies (much to both of our dismay).  You are three and a half, after all. But the truth is I can't get enough of your mostly sweet personality.  You are suddenly extra obsessed with hugs and saying "I Love You." You ask one million questions per day.  You hate cleaning up your toys and will do anything you can to get out of doing so.  There is so much I could say, and so much I want to remember.  But for now I just want you to know that I love you so very much.  My days are filled with joy, because I get to spend them with you.  That first day of school was only the beginning, and I can feel my time with you slipping too quickly away.  I hope you always need just one more hug, or one more whispered "I Love You".  Because I will always be ready and waiting to give it to you.  You are going to move mountains, my girl.

Love you Forever, 

Mom