My Oldest daughter turned 10 on the second and it was a very bittersweet thing for me! I am so happy for her that she is healthy and beautiful and smart and active and surrounded by friends, but as her mother I am so worried about the road ahead. I am sad to see that the little baby that once needed me for everything has now reached a level of independence that requires very little of my help. She has grown into such a beautiful young lady and I don't know where I would be without her today. She is the child in our home that is always ready to help no matter how tough the job. She is the one that is always ready to be loved and appreciated, and she is the one I can always count on to be there when I need her. She is absolutely without a doubt the one I count on to get things done. Double digits is always a hard birthday for moms I think, they are no longer babies at all, they are never going to go back to single digits and once they are ten, there is a good chance, you are finished shaping the person that they will become. They have formed opinions, they know so much about everything, they know how to push your buttons, and yet how to melt your heart. You know how dependable they are going to be as an adult and whether or not they are procrastinators. There is just so much that you can determine about them by this age and in all reality as a mother that is scary to think that in 5 years they will have a permit, in 8 years they will graduate and go to college, and in an average of 10 years, your baby will be married and while you want them to experience all of that, for me it is tough to think that she has lived through her "baby" years. She is done with all of that, she no longer needs to have help going to the bathroom, taking a bath, she doesn't need naps anymore, She can fix a sandwich for lunch if she is hungry, the clothes she wears are clothes now that she has picked out, and when it comes time for bed a quick kiss on the cheek will be sufficient instead of a 15 minute snuggle session of begging for "just one more story". Saying goodbye to all of that is easily much simpler to her than it is for me to accept. So in honor of her turning 10, I am going to list ten fun facts about my little princess:
1. Avery's first word was dada and I can remember it like it was yesterday.
2. Out of all four kids, Avery was the only one who went to bed as a baby in her own bed without a fight.
3. Avery was a star in tap dance between the ages of 3 and 6
4. Avery modeled in the wedding trunk show hosted by a bridal store in Trenton for three years.
5. Avery was the first granddaughter on both sides of the family and she was loved just a little bit extra for it.
6. In her preschool graduation, when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Avery replied that she wanted to be a princess.
7. School has always come easy for Avery until this year when she refuses to try anymore.
8. Avery will be cheer leading for the first time this year and is ecstatic about it.
9. Avery does not play sports, she does not understand why people would willingly get dirty and sweaty to fight over a ball.
10. Avery's favorite color is pink, it has always been pink, she likes glittery sequined things, she likes her shoes to have high heels on them, she likes anything girly and the one sport she does enjoy is shopping.
Avery is the girl that I always wanted to have and I am so happy that she is mine to love! Avery may not realize it and Michael and I may not be a king or queen but to us Avery will always be our little princess, so I guess she can check that off of her list!
