The truth about Olivia.

Today you had your first baby! Olivia's grandpa sent me a text with your first family picture.

There you are: my courageous, beautiful, tired sister, holding the most gorgeous baby I've ever seen, with her new daddy hovering over you both and wearing a smile--the width of which should swallow his face whole. I swear the picture is illuminated with love and pride.

When I saw you holding your new baby daughter, all I could do was sigh and stare at that perfect little baby girl. She's absolutely perfect.

And I know about baby girls. Each one of mine is as precious and beloved and perfect as the one before. So I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. There is one little problem with her.

She'll grow up.

You can't slow it. You can't stop it. You can't ignore it. She will grow up.

She'll turn nine months and get two teeth in the same week. She won't sleep normal hours, and she'll gush all kinds of snot out of her tiny nose. She'll carry a low grade fever that will keep her from playing like she normally does. But even though she'll feel rotten, she'll take her first steps. And when she takes six in a row, and her parents clap heartily, she'll smile demurely and clap her hands, too.

When she turns two, she'll have her own opinion about everything. She'll call all the shots and run the whole house. She'll talk about nothing and everything and sing about it, too. She'll dazzle you with her giant smile and break you with her giant tears. She'll want jelly beans before she goes potty, and she'll follow you around whining when she doesn't get her way. She'll use your iPad more efficiently than you could ever hope to. She'll crawl into your bed at night because Mr. Grinch ate her. She'll give hugs that heal hurts and kisses that dissolve disappointment. She'll fall asleep at night and be even older the next morning.

At four-and-a-half, she'll teach you all you wanted to know about all you never knew. Her laughter and song will dance off the walls and the ceiling and get under your skin. She'll have ideas about how the rules should be adjusted and at what time the reward should be given. She'll kiss all her dollies many times a day and want you to do the same. She'll draw pictures of princesses and dragons and tell you her brothers are handsome. She'll talk like a grown up and dictate the theories of angels. You'll wonder when she got so big.

It will happen almost every day. Your heart will cry out, "Where are you going? Come back! Come back!" while your voice tells her, "The world is yours! Go on! Go on!" 

At night when she's asleep, you'll tiptoe into her room to check on her. And you know what's weird? When you see her lying there, eyelashes kissing her cheeks and mouth closed just so, you'll remember her as a newborn. You'll see her as she is today--the day she changed your life and your heart by coming to your arms.

So even though you're trying to commit her face and form to perfect memory, the truth is, you'll see her as she is today--with perfect clarity--all the days of her life.

Because she'll always be your baby girl.

Way to go, Mama.