Mush Alert! (You've been warned.)

My daughter is five today.

And even though I've aged at least twice that much since her conception, I am so glad she is here.

She is energetic, bright, strong, fiery, intense, hilarious, creative, stubborn, funny, loving, snuggly, delicious. Sometimes we drive each other CRAZY. Perhaps it is because we are so alike. (I like to think so, anyway.)

I know I just became one of those people I swore I wouldn't be: a child gusher.

Most people don't give a rat's ass about your kids. But you know how you feel; you would throw yourself in front of a bus for them. So you gush a little, on occasion. Hey, I don't even post pictures of them on the Web, so I'm gush-free on that count.

Anyway, this five year-old spitfire made me barf multiple times a day the first trimester, put me on bedrest the rest of the time, showed up 9 (NINE) weeks early and stayed in the NICU for six weeks.

Frankly, this girl deserves some gushing.

Happy Birthday to my Little Firecracker. xo