Happy birthday, Katie!

Dear Katie,

From the day you were born, we have known that our little sweetheart is full of passion and energy! When we brought you home from the hospital, your posture in the baby carrier told the whole story:

You were a strong baby who knew what you wanted. And that's not a bad thing! Some people use the label "strong-willed child" to mean brat, but you weren't even close to that. You just had an intensity for life that we'd never seen before. And oh, you melted our hearts.

You closely watched your big brother, and even though you're 14 months younger, you seemed so ready to do all the things he could already do: walk, talk, play with "big kid" toys. You have always been quick to learn new skills, whether it's on the computer or playing sports in the front yard, and your competitive nature pushed you to try new things ahead of your time.

You've always been so insightful, too. You seem to look at the world differently, seeing it from an unusual perspective. One time you told us that if we lived underground, the ground would be our sky. Hmmm...

You have the most amazing memory, and it's almost scary how quickly you can memorize song lyrics. As we're driving along, some newer song will come on the radio, one that I can barely recall ever hearing before. And there you are in the backseat, singing along!

You're also cool. As your Mom, I'm entitled to call you cute and precious and all those other girly words that accurately describe you, but your tomboy self would rather be cool. And you are! You have a way about you that exudes confidence and ease, and it shows in the way you carry yourself.

So today, you're turning 9. NINE! And you still have that fire that keeps you energized and passionate about the people and things you love. I pray that you'll always keep that fire burning, Sweetie.

Love,

Mom