Oh sweet sweet squishy face Eliza.  How I adore your fluffy hairs and your pouty, perfectly formed baby lips.

Your shar pei-esque wrinkly skin and your sleepy faces.

Your ability to think outside the box at such and early age.  Anyone can just lay in the cocoon, you, you made it a turtle shell.

Your love of basking in the warmth of late March sunlight.

Your big brother, with whom I’ve shared walks & photos; chickens & eggs.

And now I get to watch him adore you, so gentle and proud.

With a smile that won’t budge and awe for all your tiny, working parts.

And your different faces; although in retrospect we should have realized what that one was.  And yet; how I adore you for being a good little sister and getting a head start on tormenting your older brother when all he’s trying to do is look out for you – even if he pretends to have little interest when you’re both a few years older.

Dear Eliza, I adore your family and I’m so glad you arrived (however late you decided to be) to come to join it!

~MelissaKoren