Dear Penelope,

I cannot begin to tell you how complete you make mommy and daddy feel from the moment we laid eyes on you! I say this not in the sense that we are done having children, but in the sense that you make us feel whole. You make us feel like a FAMILY. You know your dad and I come from families with more than one, two, and even three siblings more than ourselves. And maybe because of this we feel that it’s only right for us to have at least more than one child. So this is what I mean by a complete family (for us, this little Home with Walls, that is).

Unicorn baby, is what your Ai-yi dubbed you. Perfect from birth we joke as your birth was the most beautiful birth that I know, but of course I’m biased and I technically know only two births in my lifetime. However, my birth story with you really was perfect in every way and I would be over the moon if every birth I give here on out (that is if we have more children) is the same way. (Penelope’s Birth Story HERE)

Sweet P really suits you! And when you cry daddy calls you our salty Peanut (I love it). However, you are rarely sad or angry. Hangry, but not angry. You were/are a great sleeper/napper from day one. A thumb-sucker, a self-soother, and truly the easiest baby I know. We moved you into your crib after three-months and had no difficulty with the transition. How did we get so lucky?! If all babies were as easy I think the earth would be overpopulated.

You are charming with people, even strangers, and especially with cute boys three to five-years-plus your age. And although we chuckle about this, we all know it to be true. Even on the cruise you were able to charm an older boy from Holland (and quite the gentleman if I do say so myself) who asked your daddy if he could dance with you on the dance floor. I still wonder how you do it!

Having your sister born first and having been such a great eater, I never thought I could have another child who would eat as well as she did/does. Then you came into our lives and  showed us that another child could in fact out-eat Huntley! You never cease to amaze us! You are so smart! Flipping, crawling, and walking may have come a tad later to you than it did with your older sister (you still hit those milestones fairly early, like I said, you amaze us), but what really has us in awe, even to this day is your talking! I never knew babies could talk the way you did/do all before even turning one. The amount you understand and the words that come out of your mouth is astonishing to your daddy and I.

You may have learned a lot, and we can thank your sister for most of it. Huntley loves you so much. She wakes up in the morning looking for you. She cannot wait to climb into your crib and give you morning kisses, tell you to jump up and down with her on your mattress, and hold you in her arms telling you how much she “lob” (loves) you.

The joy you bring into our lives is something we are not taking for granted. We all love you so much and we cannot wait to spend more and more years watching you grow before our eyes! Happy Birthday Penny! I love you so much.

Sincerely,

Mama