Happy Birthday Dailah Leagh

Yesterday was my one and only daughter's birthday. She turned 5. She goes by a lot of names around here "Dobadays" "Doozie" "Doozie booz" "Dailah Leagh a chicksapea", etc. And at any given time, these can be used to describe her perfectly.

We woke the Dobadays up singing Happy Birthday, as we always do. Once I saw that she was hiding from my camera she immediately became Doozie.

Knowing her as well as we do, Zach and I decided we'd let her have a little time with just us before we woke up Binyam (the bigs were still at camp). Her favorite place? The counter as I put my make up on for the day.

For her birthday breakfast she chose super sugar-y cereal. Also known as Cap't Crunch knock offs.

On this morning, despite it being her birthday, I had to pawn her off on Prancer. Zach was working and I had a class to teach so Prancer "volunteered" to drop she and Binyam off at camp. Zach works with some really amazing people. This one specifically I've had the pleasure of befriending over the years. Good people.

When I picked Binyam and the bday girl up early from camp she wanted to change into "a birthday outfit". When I asked to take a picture this is what she did. Doozie.

My parents drove the 2 hours to come see her on her birthday. They also came bearing gifts. This cookie is actually called "The Doozie" in the store. It had to be hers, no?

What's a girl like Dailah love doing almost more than anything else? Manis and Pedis, obvi. So off we went to a nail salon. Myself, mom, my sister and sister-in-law, neice and Binyam. Of course Binyam. Oh boy do I love her.

Dobadays has lots of people who love her.

This is the picture that was supposed to be cute, "oh look, mom and daughter sharing a pedicure tub, precious" but instead it looks like I'm trying to birth her again. Weird.

The bday girl chose blue for her fingernails and purple for her toenails. Great choices.

Doozie booz chose The Corner Grill for her dinner venue...because they serve the kids meals on frisbees (that they then get to keep). While there she got a call from her aunt Kait who lives in Japan. She was super excited about it. Unfortunately I think she may have learned this from me.

Doozer has generous grandparents. Very generous grandparents.

I happen to love this picture because it's Zach and his mini me. The eyelashes, the bronzed skin, the beauty, oh my!

These two might fight to be the first to buy her a car on her 16th. They love her like crazy. Grandpas, the very best.

These two love her like crazy too but will never buy her a new car on her 16th. They might not be the best but they try to be every day.

And these people? Well...not much I can say about them that hasn't been said. It takes a village, it really does.

 Dailah is smart and hilarious, she is sweet and spunky, she is playful and endearing. She gives the most amazing hugs and every night asks for a little snuggle time.

Dailah would stay up late and sleep in late if it were up to her (that would be her dad's genes). If she has your ear, she will ask you 20 questions just to learn more about you and more about the world. Dailah never accepts simple answers when she thinks there is more to it. Don't try telling her the easy answer, you're not getting off so easily.

Dailah loves sugar, chocolate and carbs. She really dislikes every veggie and most fruits. Once when she tried a SmartDog, she asked me why I was making her eat dog poop. No. joke.

She continues to love all things girly. Make up, lotion, perfume, accessories, etc. But she'll also be the first one to kill a spider when she sees it. She helps daddy take dead mice off the traps. Shudder.

Truth be told, she is everything I can remember wanting to be as I got older...in a 5-year-old's body. God help me if I don't pray every day that she keeps her strength, her determination, her love of life, her wit. (God also help me if I don't pray every day that I wake up with her eyelashes, but that's neither here nor there).

I love this girl. In the deepest recesses of my body I love her. I'm so thankful for the 5 years we've had and the lifetime still to go.

I call her my angel, because she was the first after our miscarriage. When I wasn't sure if life ever got really good again, she came along. She saved me from that darkness. 5 years ago she came out and went straight into the NICU and I remember that first night sleeping mere minutes. I just kept staring at her. And I prayed over and over, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." That's all that came out the first night with her...and every night since.

Love you, baby girl.