Dear Sydney-feffer, 
Nine years ago, you came into the world and transformed Seth and Kami into Daddy and Mommy. Your curiosity, your kindness, and your maturity were evident from the get go. Watching you see everything for the first time was the most powerful experience I’ve ever had. (Well, that and birthing your brother and sister.). And watching you learn to sit stand walk eat laugh talk blew my mind.
You continue to blow my mind pretty much every time you open your mouth.
“Mommy, who is God?”
“Mommy? Why do people have bank accounts?”
“Mommy. Can we download another Percy Jackson book? I finished the one from the library (that I get yesterday and that was 7 million pages long).”
“I’d like a Dragon Roll, please.”
“Why is owning a gun a right that we have?”
“I don’t understand. A police officer put a man in a chokehold and killed him? How could that happen?”
You’ve spent the last year honing your origami skills, building crazy complicated Lego structures, becoming a fierce soccer player, and drafting/revising Spotify playlists. You love dance parties and Home Alone 2 and your new baby sister. Caetano is your best friend, but no one rivals your brother, Elijah, in your book.
You and I play Scrabble and Sorry and read our own books next to each. You are so independent, but when we are alone together, you’ll still hold my hand walking down the street. You tell me about your girl troubles and your recess issues and you absolutely hate getting in trouble. With a little help from Daddy, you’ve figured out how to get all your homework done every night. Even with dance class. And Hebrew school. And swim class. And play dates. And and and and…
You’re an incredible traveler. Just this year, you’ve gone to Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Jersey, all over New York State, and, of course, to China!
You always say please and thank you.
You always greet people with a hug and a kiss and a smile that lights up a room.
You are always excited about whatever our weekend plans are.
You make your own breakfasts and lunches and sometimes you even make dinner for our family. (Your chicken fingers are awesome!)
You’ve become one of my favorite writers. Your descriptive language and story telling abilities are unparalleled. Most recently, you read White Fang and then wrote a story from the perspective of a wolf cub. The beauty of it made me cry.
You are very fast. You get to the end of the block before I can count to 20.
You’re super ticklish and very easy for me to annoy. I particularly like squeezing your leg right above your knee and tracing the bottom of your foot with my finger nail. Both of those things make you crazy. (But I think you secretly like it.)
I can’t believe you’re nine. Next year is double digits. Eight years after that, you go to college. We’ve reached the midpoint – we’re halfway through your childhood years. But when I look at you and you pull your bangs back to expose your forehead, I can still see the face of my very first baby.
You will always be my baby.
I love you so much and too much.
Mommy