Still

It's still difficult to find words.  Still.  It's been years.  Years!  Not days or weeks or months, stretches of time that once seemed monumental and have now passed in the blink of an eye.  

Today's Sophie's birthday.  Her third birthday.  WM & I welcomed the day quietly, snuggled together in bed as bright, summer sun poked at us through cracks in the curtains, beaconing us to get up and get going.  

We lay there reminiscing, WM recounting the day we walked into the NICU to find Sophie had finally opened her eyes for the very first time and myself talking of how sweet she was. Literally.  The girl smelled of sugar cookies.  It was her signature scent.  I kid you not.  Well, except for her feet.  Bitty thing had the daintiest and stinkiest toes in the universe.  No joke.  

Here she is, checking us out for the very first time.  

We choose to remember the good, not the litany of tests and doctor's appointments and hospital stays, as that is what kids are made of.  Good.  And fun.  And light.  And laughter.  And love.  

All those things.  They still sum her up, our Sophie. 

Happy birthday, bitty girl.  Bitty angel.  We love you.