Feelin' good with JoJo

I'm more than a month late, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to officially wish my baby a very happy 4th birthday.

Let me say that again:

My baby. 4th birthday. {sigh}

Josie turned 4 years old on February 1st. My youngest, my sweet little Josephine, is no longer a toddler. She's a big girl now. So many changes have happened in this past year that I almost don't recognize her when I look at pictures of her from a year ago:

3 years old

For starters, she grew 6 inches in the last 12 months. Gone are her little (or not so little) chubby legs and belly. And while still a very sensitive child, gone are her days of hiding in the background -- or sitting idly by while her sister takes center stage. Ladies and gentlemen, we have another little performer on our hands:

This kid, the one who would previously shy away from any stranger that looked her way, now performs impromptu concerts for Target customers:

This kid, while still terrified of loud noises and fireworks, is the same one who LOVES roller coasters. She rode every one allowed while we were at Disney World last week. She begged to ride Everest at Animal Kingdom but was turned away because she didn't meet the height requirement. (Of course, still being our sensitive child, that rejection caused a few tears.)

I remember the worries Bill and I had when Josie was nearing 2 years old. She wasn't much of a talker and still only said the basic words of Mommy, Daddy, Maddie, and more. Having been "seasoned" by her much talkative older sister, we worried about Josie's speech development. Fast forward 2 years later. Our worries were VERY unnecessary. Very. All it took was actually getting the chance to talk. Since Maddie has been at school, Josie has filled every moment of silence with her own little chatter. She'll talk to you all day long, about everything under the sun, even when you're on the phone. And if you happen to be in another room? No problem, she'll talk to her stuffed animals or Barbies instead. It extends to those outside the family too. Here's an example of a recent visit to the doctor:

My name is Josie. I'm 4 years old [holds up 4 fingers]. I had a monkey birthday party for my 4th birthday. I wanted a sock monkey party, but we couldn't find one so I did a monkey party instead. I had a My Little Pony party when I was 3. I was going to have a Little Einsteins party when I was 4 years old but I changed my mind. My sister is Maddie. She's 5 years old and she goes to kindergarten. We're going to Disney World for my birthday. My favorite princess is Sleeping Beauty [still pronounced "sweeping booty"] and I'm going to have dinner with Cinderella. I'm allergic to peanuts and peanut butter but my sister Maddie isn't...

She gave this speech to the receptionist. Then the nurse. Then the doctor. And then the cashier at the grocery store afterwards.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention some very important people in Josie's life. Those people are Jesse and McKenna, her best friends. Her best imaginary friends. Josie has one of the most active imaginations I've ever seen. One second she'll be inviting her imaginary friends over to play (even greeting them at the door,) and the next she'll spend the entire afternoon speaking with an accent and insisting that she's someone else (like a rock star.)

Happy Birthday, JoJo! You're no longer my baby, but you've turned into one very funny, very sweet little girl. With an imagination such as yours, I look forward to seeing where life takes you.