We celebrated her birthday yesterday so that Ryan could be there. Church with her favorite helper (KAREN), her favorite food for lunch (PIZZA), and one of her favorite places to walk and shove her weight around (THE AMAZEUM). Ever since that week with the cousins, her speech has just exploded. Mimicking words is huge, but mimicking full sentences is just so exciting. She can tell us when her shoes hurt by saying “shoes”, which is a gift to me, and every mom, that their kids can explain if they need help. She can say and identify all her letters and colors and can count to 20. She is becoming funny and shy and then not shy and then silly and it’s a relief to finally be less on the side of worry and more on the side of simply loving.

At her neurology check up last week, her doctor was just so excited about Gertie’s growth. She also volunteers at our church’s monthly date night for special needs parents, and so gets to watch Gertie play in her natural environment throughout the year along with her yearly visit.

4 trips around the sun. Can’t wait to see you rocket to the moon now.