Ten

Shelby is most definitely my daughter-- she loves birthdays, she counts down to birthdays, she makes sure she is aware of others' birthdays.  It borders on obsession, like me.  She also loves numbers.  She finds cool things about dates and other things, through numbers.  I love that Caden's birthday is 05/15/01.  Two zeros, fives, and ones.  I also love that my birthday has a cool sound-- five, thirty-one, nineteen-eighty-one.  Anyway, I digress.

Yesterday, before I even had time to really "wake up", she burst into the room, "Mom, today there are just ten more days until I am ten.  This is the last day of double digits on my countdown before I turn double digits!!"

My Rainbow Baby is growing up so fast.

Since we had loads of time on our hands with our 'Seventh circle of Hades' day, and since the shining snow was giving good light, I decided to force myself to take birthday pictures.  I LOVE taking pictures, no matter the reason, and especially for their birthdays, but everything above and beyond the normal activity these days feels monumental and hard.  Hate to admit it, but it's the truth. 

"Mom, we should really try to get ten different pictures, since I am going to be ten, and since there are ten days until my birthday today."

I ended up taking 30 pictures in all.  I didn't get one that I loved every single thing about it, but I did get some OK ones, so I don't feel like doing another photo shoot.  While looking through each with my proverbial fine-tooth comb, Shelby sat right next to me, giving me her opinion of each one.  When I got to one, she gasped and exclaimed, "That one is my favorite of them all."  It's ironic, because when I was doing her hair, she asked if she could have it curled, so it looked shorter than it actually is.  I told her I wanted to highlight how long it has gotten since she donated it {two years ago} next month, so she said I could keep it straight.  As it turns out, it is her favorite thing about the picture. 

I'll show this one, and save the rest for her birthday, now nine days away, she tells me.

My goodness, I love this girl.  She has blessed my life so much.  She makes me so happy.  I love her tender emotions and her fierce personality and spirit.  She is the perfect baby to heal my twice-wounded broken heart.  I can't imagine life without her.  Nine days and counting...