My oh my how time does fly...

Today my baby -- my first baby -- turns 5. I remember that day back in 2004 like it was yesterday.





My water broke while I was at book club, late on November 1st. Noah was NOWHERE to be found...

The ones...

Driving to GW University Hospital at 11:00 p.m...it was surreal. My speedy labor. My fantastic doctor. My beautiful baby...who didn't look so beautiful to me. At first. It took me a bit to bond with her. But when I fell for her, oh how hard I fell.

The twos....which were not nearly as terrible as the threes (only to then be outdone by the fours...)

Election day. Bush vs. Kerry. Uugh how much I wanted to vote. And I WOULD have voted but for the fact that I went in to labor 4 weeks early.

The threes...sort of a blur thanks to a strong dose of pregnancy hormones.

Amazingly that was five years ago. FIVE. For the first time, I look at Lily and see a child. A little kid. My baby is long gone. My toddler has disappeared too. I look at her face and see a big kid. Five seems so old.

The fours, where independence kicked in in full force (and where dressing herself started to become a trend)

Five was a big year for me. I went off to kindergarten. I learned to ski. I became a big sister; my brother was born when I was five. Five is the first year that I have very, very solid memories from. I can't wait to discover what real memories from the coming year Lily will remember 30 years from now.

Five.

My baby is five...

Five...and that story has just begun...

Her fifth year was welcomed with much fan fare thanks to her partners in crime at school, the totally adorable Tulip Class!