Happy 7th birthday to Devyn

Happy Happy Birthday to my sweet Heavenly Devyn Leigh! Seven years ago you joined our family and on our anniversary we were able to bring you home from the hospital. We could not have asked for a better gift or celebration!

How do I put into words how blessed we are to have you as our daughter? You are such a joy to all that know and love you. Your sweetness radiates as much as your beautiful red hair and hazel-green eyes.

I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. They brought you back from the nursery while I was recovering from surgery and that was when we first got a glimpse of that beautiful red hair. The nurses said you had a temper to match your hair. We thought we had some wild years ahead of us! Not the Baughman temper, Please! You have proven to be the exact opposite. You are such a mellow and even tempered child. You are loving and kind. You are gentle and sweet. You love your baby sister even when she pulls your hair. You share with your brother even after he picks on you. You do amazing in school and your teachers all adore you. You keep your room clean without mom and dad having to ask you. You are an easy good spirited child. You are quiet and shy with strangers and it takes a while for you to let people in, but once you do you love them wholeheartedly and your personality sparkles. You are sensitive and your feelings get hurt very easily but I think that is what makes you the sweet girl that you are. In so many ways you are exactly the same as I was as a child.

You love to go shopping with mom and love when we can sit down together and work on our scrapbooks together. We love to turn on Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift and P!nk and dance in the living room for hours. You prefer a trip to the salon to get a mani/pedi with me over a trip to the toy store. Just yesterday you saw a new nail place "that we just have to try!". You are my beautiful girly girl. I look forward to years of love and friendship as you grow up into a beautiful adult.

People always ask where your red hair came from. Even though you hear it everywhere you go you are still kind and say "I am not too sure." You are told how beautiful you are every time we are out and yet you are gracious every time someone tells you. If only they could all know the beauty that lies beneath the ivory skin, freckles and red hair. It far exceeds what could ever be seen on the outside.

You are such a wonderful example for your baby sister and I am so happy she will have you to grow up with and look up too. What better example could she ever have? You are both so lucky to have a sister and I pray that you two have a bond that will never be broken. When she is sad she calls for her sissy and bro-bro. She wants to be a part of whatever you are doing at all times. What a lucky little girl she is to have you. You and Trey fight. A lot. I feel your pain baby - I was the little sister too! I know that in time, like me, you will grow up to love and adore your big brother. You will look back on these years together and laugh just like your Uncle Ryan and I do all the time. You will be so happy that you have a big brother that loves you unconditionally and would lay down his life for yours (even if it doesn't seem like it now, he would). He is such a great example of strength, hope and goodness and one day you will be so proud to call him your big brother. The greatest gift I will ever give you is your siblings.

Tonight we will head to Bath & Body Works at your request and pick out a few fun girly things, ride the Carousel, and enjoy a night out with our family. Enjoy your special day sweet girl. I love you to the moon and back, more than there are stars in the sky, more than I love ice cream and pumpkin pie.

Love,
Mama