NINE!!!!!!!!!

Havana Ruby, from the minute you were born I had a sense of who you are as your sweet easy nature was present from the start. Your joyful, happy essence radiated from your 9 lb self! As a second time mom, I too was more relaxed, so you and I fell into an easy rhythm.

I called you Happy Buddha Baby because of your round Buddha belly and the smile you wore most of the time.

As you have grown over the years, I have discovered that you are a sensitive little being. Your imagination keeps you entertained with things like drawing, playtime with your dolls and reading all of which you can do for hours. Loud noise and big crows are things that you shy away from and you don't like to be the center of attention. At home that is not always the case. You put on shows for us, dancing, singing and shaking that booty! You make us laugh  daily with your quick wit and the talented drawings you have gifted meus grace the walls of both the house and my office.

As you have gotten older we have begun to see a stronger side to you. You can be quite fixed in your choices. You don't like to hear 'no' and it's a colossal waste of time trying to get you to taste new foods until you are good and ready. Yet you don't fuss too much and when you too have your moments of outburst, they don't last long. Most crying occurs when you are losing a board game or your allotted TV time is over. You don't like to lose and you love the Disney channel! But after you do your temper thing and cry, we end up all huggy and kissy!

I especially love your kisses as I can never get enough of your 'juicy lips' (my name for them!) You won't let anyone but me give you lip kisses. That's okay, I sure don't mind!! You do like hugs from your dad and sister but unfortunately big sis is not a big hugger. Not that it stops you from squeezing the heck out of Amara almost daily (and I think she secretly loves that!)

You love your friends and you love school. You are a smart young lady, who's quiet nature often leaves me fooled. You surprises me often with  new facts, like a species of butterfly that flies by or the name of a bird we might see in a tree.  You move at your own pace but you work hard at school and have proved time and again that you an intelligent and thoughtful person.

You are a bright, creative, imaginative and kind hearted person Havana and you bring immeasurable amounts of joy into my life. I am so thankful you landed in our family. I am fiercely protective of my Baby Girl; the person who has brought rainbows into my life and made my world so much brighter.