Today is officially Ava's fifth birthday.  Hope and I were talking about how today is especially nostalgic for some reason, probably because it feels like a milestone birthday.  But in particular it seems like time has gone by so fast.

I remember when Ava was born, and how it changed me.  It was like a switch was flipped and I became a different person.  I don't know how else to describe it.  As she grew, Ava showed us that she's an imaginative, humorous free spirit who isn't afraid to express her emotions.   Her affection is what I live for and what I can't live without.  I love coming home from a long day at work, opening the door to Ava running full-speed for a giant hug.

You've changed so much in the last five years, baby-girl.  It's with equal amounts of excitement and sadness that I welcome the next five yerars, and the five years following that.  Your mom and I are so proud of you.