Holy Crap, She's FIVE!

I don't know how it possibly happened, but it did. Ella is now a KID. Just when I finally quit thinking of her as a little baby and came to grips with her being a toddler, she went and turned FIVE. What's next, Ella? Adolescence? Puberty? Dating? DRIVING?!

My sister sent me a bunch of photos from the past few days, and I'm absolutely shocked at how her appearance is changing. I just saw her three months ago, and I swear she looks so much more mature since then...less cute and more pretty.

I'll be honest, it's been a bittersweet year. We gained Asher, which obviously was the most wonderful thing ever, but I feel a little like we've lost Ella. She moved away to Virginia with her mom early this year, so we went from seeing her every couple of weeks (or more) to seeing her every few months. Kids grow up so darn quickly, so three months seem like a year. Not to mention, before Asher, Ella was the apple of my eye. Don't get me wrong, she still is, but I just haven't been able to focus on her or pay her as much attention as I did before Asher was born. I don't know if she's even noticed that, or not, but I feel guilty about it sometimes. I miss the closeness I felt a year ago with little Ella Bella. So...this must be a little tiny taste of the mixed feelings you get when having a second child?

Luckily, I will get a much-needed Ella fix in just a few days when she comes in to town for Thanksgiving with her mom. I'm so excited to see her, and I know Asher is going to be in heaven visiting with her. I just hope I'll be able to recognize her when she gets here.