Letters From Min: Katie Bug, It's your third birthday...

      I expected the changes that came with a second child when you entered this world three years ago today, but I never could have imagined how many twists and turns the last 3 years would take...death, cancer, career changes, moves, personal awakenings, the redemption of relationships. In many ways, the mother that held you three years ago is a stranger to the mother chasing after you now. Mercifully, what felt like a world being turned upside down, was really a world being turned right side up. Some of these events merely coincided with your arrival; others were inspired by it. When I look at you, I'll always be reminded of faithfulness, mercy, grace, and redemption.

   You are sweet, with just the right amount of ornery. You are curious and smart, loving, downright funny, full of spunk, and impossibly loved. Mothering you is an outrageous blessing.

      You are right in the 50th percentile for height and weight. You have a preference on what you wear, and if you don't want to wear something, you call it "scratchy". You talk a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. You say the "fr" sound for "tr" (fruck for truck, free for tree), the "k" sounds for "t" (tate for Kate), and the "y" sound for "l" (yori for Lori). I adore it. You love to color and write (and can hold a pencil quite well!). You love baby dolls and are getting into dress up (but are very selective about the dress up clothes you wear--can't be scratchy). You want to play in my makeup and are just all around girly. Your favorite color is pink (you are very interested in what everyone's favorite color is). You get really obsessed with random stuff (lately it's been rocks and bars of soap and miniature anything). Your favorite stuffed animal is a stuffed cat that Mimi bought you, aptly named Cat-Cat. You love the Corolle doll I bought you for your first birthday. It's "well loved" (i.e. filthy), and you call it "dirty baby". I bought you a Corolle doll you can wash for Christmas. It's clean so you call it "church baby" or "pretty baby".

     You love Bo...most of the time. You can really give him the business when you're not happy with him, but mostly you want to do just what he's doing. This means you like legos, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, ninja turtles, and rescue bots. I'm interested to see what your taste is when he's not at home to influence it this fall when he goes to kindergarten. You love your daddy. You are so excited when he's home and just generally crawl up in his lap whenever you want. You like to get him to play dress up with you and are super frustrated that he doesn't fit into a princess dress.

     I'm pleased to say that you're really a momma's girl though. You usually want me to put you down and give you a bath and almost always ask me to "snuggle with you" at bedtime.

     You are such a firecracker, feisty girl of mine. Words we often use to describe you are: pistol, firecracker, spunky, hot mess, and "something else". But you have this tender side that shines through at exactly the moment it needs to. You are really the most illogical mix of tough and tender...in fact, the only person I have ever known like you is me. It's a strange, redemptive blessing seeing me in you. In discovering you and loving you, I've rediscovered and learned to love me. The Lord is so creative and kind to teach me self love through you...He must have known it was the only way. I pray we help you channel all that determination and independence into being just who you were created to be.

     Katherine Morgan, you are a million blessings wrapped into 30 pounds. Mothering you and your brother is a joyful, hair pulling, fun, crazy privilege. You are absolutely adored. Happy birthday. I am so glad you arrived three years ago. We'll never be the same.

{Your first week}