Happy 11th Birthday Madison!

Today is Madison's 11th Birthday! I can not believe my baby is 11. Time really does fly. It is still somewhat surreal to Sterling and I that we have precious Avery. But, our baby turning 11 is just way to fast for me! Madison is so amazingly special to me. I adore her. She is a mommy's girl and it is beyond words the wonderful bond I share with her. She is growing into a beautiful young lady both inside and out. She is so thoughtful and kind and so very appreciative of all she has. She is the very best sister and friend. When you really spend time with her, you learn she has the best sense of humor. She, just like Emma, loves to be praised and receive encouragement. But, more than anything, Madison loves quality time with us. She thrives on it. She brings me such joy. We are having a wonderful day with her. Her birthday party, with her friends, is not until Friday night, so I will post more about that later. But, we wanted to make today very special as well. She made me a menu a few days ago of all the things she wanted to eat today, and so that was fun. She woke up this morning and came downstairs to a decorated kitchen, with a special chair just for her, and a special plate to eat on. We enjoyed pancakes, eggs, and bacon. It was delicious! For lunch, she wanted a turkey, mayo, tomato, and bacon sandwich. She has been begging for a sandwich with bacon all year long, because one of her best friends eats one everyday. But, I won't let her have bacon, because it is not healthy on a daily basis for anyone. However, a birthday is a special day, and so bacon was at breakfast and on her sandwich at lunch! For dinner, she requested steak and baked potatoes! Daddy grilled out in the rain and the steaks were delicious. Pour Sterling had a hard time chewing it with his new spacers. Madison took cupcakes for her class to school today, so she thought that was her sweet for the day, but we surprised her with carvel ice cream cake for dessert. Below is a video of us singing happy birthday to her. We had a great time celebrating Maddie! I thought having another baby would make it not so hard on me for Madison to get older, but that just is not true. She is forever my baby, my very first baby, and I will treasure every moment with her now and always.