At four Reese is thriving. It’s so funny to look at her newborn photos and think “wow I can’t believe we thought she was the sleepiest chill baby.” Reese has always been a happy kid, and for that I am so grateful. Her resting state is happy, spunky, and excited.

But she is also fiesty, strong, spicy, and passionate. Her mean mug is ~impressive. She loves hard and feels things deeply.

Probably the best word to describe Reese is enthusiastic. She gets SO INTO everything she does, like singing or pretend play. She absolutely screams whenever she sees her friends or family, and attacks them with a hug at a dead run. Every morning she greets me so happily and tells me she missed me. One of the sweetest things about this year was watching her fall absolutely in love with her baby cousin Holden. Like crazy consuming love!

Or perhaps the best word is confident. She makes friends everywhere we go. She invited a group of teen girls to her birthday party while we waited in line for Haunted Mansion. She still talks about a friend she met at the McDonalds playplace like a month ago. She struts right up to people and introduces herself and asks if they want to be her friend. She dances and sings with abandon. I desperately want to protect that confidence with every ounce I have.

But precocious would also be an accurate descriptor. This kid. She speaks with this cadence and syntax that frequently makes people snort with laughter. She uses “soooooo” and “but…” and “actually” and “exactly.” She asks to have meetings with you when she wants to talk about something. She is very free with her compliments and will often say “Mom! Your hair looks amazing!” or “I like your _____!” She says “Thank you!” all the time, and in response to the funniest things like telling her you love her or good morning.

Malone is Reese’s shadow. Unfortunately. Loney is much more destructive than Reese ever was, and actually I think it’s Loney that instigates a lot of the disasters. Reese is just so quick to show Loney the most effective way to get into something, or opening/reaching the things Loney can’t. They bicker constantly – except when they’re alone in their room. <3 Reese aggressively protects Loney in public. Seriously. Don’t even look at Loney at the post office. Reese will scream at you. (??? why??)

I never want to forget how Reese says things are “special to her.” Or “I think that’s a GREAT IDEA!” “You’re da best mom ever!!!!” on good days and “I will never be your daughter AGAIN!” on bad days. Or when she self-identifies that she’s “HAVING A ROUGH DAY!”

I love her so much. I am so proud of her. I learn so much from her. I am working so hard to be better every day because she deserves someone who can raise her to her full, very vibrant and expansive potential. It’s scary at times, raising a strong-willed, big personality girl. Will I crush her spirit? Will I lose her to the driving force within her? We take it a day at a time, and I am grateful for each one of those days with her.

Happy Birthday, chicken nugget.