Sophie, You're 25 Years Old Today!

Dearest Sophie,

You turned 25 years old today! That's an entire quarter-century. You are halfway up the hill! And of course, we're finally free from the oppressive chains of the underage rental car fee. Twenty-five is probably the age where most people consider themselves to have truly entered adulthood; I have a feeling you felt that way long before this birthday.

Had the internet and blogger existed back when you were a baby, maybe your parents could have shared your growth and development with the rest of the world as well. It would have been fun to go back and read about it. The stories on your blog would have been very different. By all accounts, you were an outgoing and active baby, always hitting milestones ahead of schedule. You walked at 10 months, the age Izzie is now. So if Izzie takes an average between both her parents, she should begin to walk a little bit after her first birthday. You also talked and learned to read before your friends. You were a smart kid and a fast learner. You had an out-going personality, and weren't shy about talking to other kids, sharing personal stories or asking questions. One time, you even genuinely asked another boy in your preschool class why he was still wearing diapers. You didn't know it at the time, but you made him cry, and your teacher had to call your parents to tell you to be more sensitive. In many ways, you're really the same person you were back then.

This year has been an eventful year for you. Of course, you were finally able to shed that giant mass in your tummy, only to discover that caring for that thing was much harder outside the womb than inside. The first week was definitely the hardest. You shed a lot of tears that week, and probably grew up a lot too. But you know what? Izzie grew too, and she kept growing. She's a bundle of fun these days. Your biggest challenge this year has been motherhood. At first, the challenges were physical: teaching her how to breastfeed, and then how to bottle feed. Then we had to get her to adopt a regular sleeping schedule. Now, it's on to straws and real cups. (The fun never stops, right?) These days, the challenges seem more emotional; it's the constant worrying of whether we're making the right decisions as parents. You were and are completely obsessed with Izzie's welfare; you've probably read more books in the past year on child-rearing than you can count on your fingers. Maybe your toes too. And of course, you are always concerned about making sure we were giving Izzie the right experiences and capturing the right moments. You've done most of this while going back to work as the sole breadwinner in the family.

Besides motherhood, you also had personal issues to deal with. You had an extremely worrisome experience when you were diagnosed with cancer. Consistent with the theme of growing up, we researched various treatment techniques and insurance options, asked for surgeon recommendations, and finally settled on a plan with which we were comfortable. Even after the surgery, we had to make a lot of decisions on follow-up treatment options, timelines and the like. Thankfully, the surgery was a success, and within a few months, you will hopefully be completely cancer free. But alas, the cancer wasn't the only sad part of the year. We lost your paternal grandmother, a woman who helped shape you as a child and mold you into the woman you are today.

Like Izzie, you also learned a few new things this year. You took a class on how to take pictures with our digital SLR camera. You played Wii for the first time, and quickly mastered the Wii Fit Hula Hoop game. We bought a pasta machine and made homemade pasta for the first time ever. You learned first hand how annoying HMO plans can be. You started jogging again. And we became members at our church, two years after first attending as recent settlers in New York City. How quickly time has passed.

This past year was a year of life and loss; of celebration and grieving; of challenge and triumph. A lot of the causes and events that defined your life this year probably came unexpectedly. You probably saw more of the inside of hospitals than you'll ever want to see. But you always handled it with grace and poise. Watching you go through life everyday reminds me of why I love you and why I married you. And as Izzie grows up and begins to understand more, she will draw from your life experiences and examples and become a better person. Your silliness adds that much more to the merry times. Your determination gets us through the hard times. Your presence makes life worth living all the time.

So here are 25 cheers to you, Soph. Your family will always love you and be here for you. May this next year and chapter of your life be filled with good health, love, peace and joy.

Love,
Al + Izzie