Our first baby has turned 9. . .and like all parents I am wondering where the years have gone. But it's funny with Hannah--there are so many times that she acts older than her nine years that some days it seems as if she should already be driving!
Hannah is, as ever, filled with such a wonderful spirit. She is very level-headed and always on the look out to help someone in need. She has a hard time with discord, so she has a healthy disrespect for her peers who spend time leaving others out and making others feel bad. (so proud of that!) Her courage through all of these changes and challenges we have faced is inspiring to me. She sometimes acts more like a Mommy than I can find the strength to; when I am down and out, she is the first one there to console me and make sure that all is better again in our little universe! We see a little pre-teen attitude every once in a while, but she is a smart girl so (fingers crossed) I don't think she will be too hard to handle!
This summer, Hannah celebrated her First Holy Communion and is now an altar server at our Church. She is one of the Year Four representatives on Student Council this year and is really excited to hold that position! We are continuing violin lessons, though Keith and I can really see how much she misses Miss Katie (now Mrs. Katie, I believe) in Tennessee. She had to go backwards and learn to read music, so the pieces that she is asked to play are much more simple and just aren't as fun as fiddle music and the more complicated Suzuki pieces! Hannah is also running cross-country right now. . .we are so proud of her efforts to tackle something that takes a lot of perseverance to accomplish! We are very proud of her academic efforts; she continues to be in the top of her class and really enjoys maths--and she does NOT get that from me!
What she does get from me is a love of reading....Hannah's nose is forever stuck in a book. She has read pretty much everything we have in the house, but luckily doesn't mind reading them again! Once in the car, I couldn't get her attention and she says "I was in my book and couldn't get out"! She is a fabulous biggest sister--she loves to play dress-up and dancing and regularly orchestrates the games that she and Maggie and Charlotte play. She still loves to sing along to her favorites, and even occasionally writes her own lyrics. The girl has an appetite that doesn't stop--I used to joke that I felt bad when she was under three and got a free buffet because she would eat so much. Now she orders off the adult menu and usually eats more than me (no easy task!)
Every day, I thank God for the miracle of this beautiful child--my cup truly runneth over! She makes me so proud--prouder than I can seem to make her believe! It blows my mind that the first sweet little baby of mine that I carried and nursed and cuddled is now up to my shoulder. I can't even imagine what life with a proper big kid in double digits will look like next year. But I look forward to everything that she and I will learn together along the way!!
