Happy 7th Birthday, Avery!

My sweet Avery bug,

Oh my goodness. How can it be? My little baby bug is 7 years old today! That seems just about impossible. The time between these birthday letters just keeps going faster and faster. Every day with you is an adventure. I never know what to expect! That’s just part of your fun-loving personality! You are so uniquely YOU and I love that about you. You are not one to follow others. You’re not afraid to speak your mind. At just 7 years old, you are incredibly independent. 

BUT, you are also still my baby. You tell me every night that “you need my snuggles.” You still climb up onto my lap and ask me to carry you. You tell me when you’re an adult you’re going to marry me, and you call me your sweetie-pie. You definitely have me wrapped around your finger, and you most certainly know it! I think because you’re my last baby, it’s sometimes that much harder to watch you grow up. These years have literally gone by faster than I ever could have imagined. I really do try my best to soak up all of these precious moments. Cuddling with you is one of my favorite things to do in the world.

But at the same time, as much as I miss the baby you once were, I am in awe at the little boy you are now. Watching you grow is something I never take for granted. It fills my heart with so much joy watching you learn and discover new things. I am thankful every single day. 

This year has been interesting to say the least. We’re currently in the middle of a pandemic, which is just beyond crazy. Our lives literally changed overnight. BUT, we’re all together and we’re all healthy. That is what’s most important. We’ve been basically quarantined since this past March, which is a long time! 

For the most part, you’re handling the pandemic well. But you do miss traveling, especially to Disney World. Luckily we were able to go on our Disney Cruise this past January before the world literally shut down. I promise you, once this craziness is over, we will be doing LOTS of traveling to all of our favorite places, and we’ll even discover some new ones! 

The hardest part of this past year has been school. I really feel like you don’t understand what school truly is. You only had half a year of Kindergarten when the pandemic broke out. Schools were shut down and you participated in distance learning. 

This year we started off distance learning again, but it wasn’t working out for you. You were not happy. I decided to homeschool you for the year, and while it’s something I wasn’t entirely prepared for, we’re both adjusting well to the transition. You are SO smart, and I love that we’re able to teach you things that truly interest you.

You still love everything about outer space. Your Daddy finished building your spaceship, and you want to be an astronaut when you grow up! You are OBSESSED with Pokémon. You love everything about it. In fact, our whole little family started to play Pokémon Go together during the pandemic! It’s the perfect activity during this crazy time!

Easter is your favorite holiday and Halloween is your second favorite. Your favorite color is blue and you love gummy bears and pop tarts!

You are super silly and wild, boisterous and loud. You exemplify the meaning of joy. You are a giant burst of happiness. You are forever my baby.

Happy birthday my sweet love bug. I love you most!

Mommy