25 Things I Love About Carrie

Today my sweet little baby girl is 25 years old.

♥

{Carrie, 2 years old, me 29}

I can still remember her tiny little baby body, how she felt in my arms and the way her skin smelled. I remember that she never cried at night, but instead made sweet little grunting noises when it was time to be fed. I love that she smiled for the first time at two weeks old while her Grandma Marti was holding her {and re-smiled at her 2-week check up and her pediatrician was impressed and confirmed that it was a genuine smile} and what a happy little baby she always was. I remember holding her on my lap when she was 9 months old and hearing her clearly say her first word as our cat walked by. "Meow," she declared. "Meow."

Ah! I could go on and on and on about my amazing girl, but in the interest of time {mine, and yours} I'm going to limit my list to 25 things that I love about Carrie on this, her 25th birthday.

1 - That million dollar smile that can light up a room;
2 - Her fun sense of humor;
3 - Our inside jokes - and there are many;
4 - The crazy nicknames we have for each other. Ok, mostly that I have for her;
5 - She's super tech savvy and can figure out anything computer program-ish;
6 - Her dedication to caring for her dad who is disabled;
7 - Her love and affection for Doug and the fun relationship they have;
8 - Her love for celebrities and the mind-boggling number of them she's met;
9 - She's a super responsible and hard working employee;
10 - She's a talented musician and has always had incredible rhythm {She played the tambourine with her dad's band when she was two years old and blew the crowd away!};
11 - Oh, and she has the voice of an angel when she sings;
12 - Those big brown eyes {A stranger in the grocery store once asked three-year old Carrie, "Where did you get those big brown eyes?" Bewildered, she innocently replied, "They're Carrie's eyes." SO cute!}
13 - She's so good with animals, and is a loving pet owner;
14 - Her love and devotion for our family;
15 - The relationship she has with my niece Britny - they are more like sisters than cousins;
16 - Her sense of pride when it comes to accepting help {although this can be kind of annoying too};
17 - Her creative spirit - she's always been a crafter;
18 - Her zest for learning;
19 - Her ability to devour three books at one time - the girl loves to read;
20 - She recognizes the value of splurging on a massage regularly;
21 - The way she's gaining self-confidence with every passing year;
22 - The way she encourages me to be my best;
23 - She keeps a journal and is an awesome writer and blogger;
24 - This girl loves her birthday;
And last, but not least,
25 - I'm the lucky lady that gets to be her mom! ♥

{Carrie, 2 weeks old, Grandma Marti, 48}

♥

Happy birthday to my amazing daughter, Carrie!

With lots of love,

~ Mom-friend