The Belfs: Happy 4th Birthday Hannah!

I would be lying if I said that I was writing this post with dry eyes. To say that I have had an extremely hard time accepting that Hannah is turning 4, would be an understatement. I don't know why, but for some reason, 4 just seems so big! Maybe it's because Hannah actually "gets it" this year, and knows that she's getting big, and she has been so excited about it. Or, maybe it's because she planned her birthday for 312 days, but, whatever it is, this mama isn't handling it very well. Every time she talked about it, I told her that I was sad that she was getting so big and that she wasn't a baby anymore and every time, she would give me the sweetest hug and tell me, "but mommy, I'll always be your baby...even when I'm 100!!!" That describes our sweet little Hannah perfectly. She always takes every one's feelings into consideration, and she always wants to make others feel good.

It seems like just yesterday that she was born! We were eating dinner Monday night and I just happened to look up at the clock at 7:11...the exact time that Hannah was born 4 years ago. I teared up a bit, gave Hannah a big kiss, and told her how happy she made her daddy and me 4 years ago that very moment. We talked about how we couldn't imagine our family without her. She had fun asking us questions about when she was born and she always laughs when we tell her how she cried non-stop for months and months!! And now she's four!! She's not a crying little baby anymore, she's not even a toddler anymore, she's my preschooler that is asking me how many days until she gets to go to "the big school!" If only we could freeze time!!!

I want to write everything I feel about our kids on each of their birthdays, so I can always remember, but I really don't know where to start on this one. Both of our girls are so much more than Brett and I could have ever dreamed of in our children, yet they are both so different in their own way. Hannah is the most loving and compassionate child I have ever met. She has never met a stranger and she is one that everyone wants to be friends with. She makes the old people smile at the grocery store and makes the crying baby laugh at the park without even trying to. She is such a sensitive child and her cuddles can make any one's day brighter! She is SO curious...sometimes a little too much, and will WEAR YOU OUT with her 1,000 questions an hour!!! She won't accept "I don't know" for an answer, so you better be on your toes when you're around her. She loves to help out, and is very willing to do whatever it is that you ask of her. She still LIVES her day by her Responsibility Chart. Her 8 responsibilities are, "Obey, Be Nice, Share, Tell The Truth, Help Out, No Whining, Use Your Manners, and Stay In Your Bed All Night :)" She will do whatever it takes to make sure she gets a "straight line" every day!

Brett and I can honestly say that we couldn't be prouder of the little girl that we have raised thus far, and we are so excited to see how much more joy she will bring us in the years to come!!

Hannah is the best big sister we could have ever asked for! She absolutely adores her little sister and they play together like angels! They tell each other every day that they are best friends, and as a mommy that grew up with 2 sisters, it melts my heart! I see their friendship growing closer all the time and I pray that God will always protect that special bond that they have!

Her favorite colors are red, orange and pink, and her daily routine revolves around those colors. The panties she picks, the dress, the shoes, the toys, everything that has red, orange and pink are her favorite...and it can become VERY annoying at times!!!

She LOVES school and she loves learning new things!! She has known all her numbers and letters for a while now and can count to well over 100. She can count by 10's and is working on counting by 5's. She can do simple addition and subtraction. She can write all of her letters and can independently write "Hannah Leigh Belf, Alice Anne, Mommy, Daddy, Jammy, Papa, Gigi, Wally, car, stop, go," and many other words. She wants to know what every word on a building, billboard, etc. spells. Her favorite activity by far is coloring. She can color for hours...as long as she has a red, orange and pink crayon!!! Her favorite princess is Ariel and her favorite games are Hide-and-Seek, I Spy and Chase! She still loves ballet and started gymnastics this year.

She is a great eater!! She'll try just about anything and LOVES salad! I told her that she could pick any birthday dinner that she wanted, that we could eat at home or go eat somewhere and she said that she wanted to eat chicken caesar salad and macaroni and cheese at home--DONE!! She wanted pancakes, fried eggs and blueberries for her birthday breakfast.

Hannah and Milam had a fabulous 4th Birthday party together...Breakfast With Santa!! Hannah talked about it for months and could not believe that the REAL Santa was coming to eat Breakfast with them at her house!!! We have a lot to live up to next year!!!

Greeting Santa at the Door