It gratifies me to see Sonya really enjoying the birthday book I put together for her. Each of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and caretakers wrote something to include. Sonya loves looking at the pictures, remembering all the fun adventures, and seeing how much progress she’s made in three years.

I had a lot of fun sifting through pictures, making Photoshop templates, and working with a fabulous local eco-friendly print shop to take this book from concept to paper. Here are some samples of my digital handiwork, including the front and back cover, my “young mother” two-page spread, and the two-page spread about Sonya and Leena, the intrepid close-in-age sisters.

Looking back at the past three years now, I’m struck by how much all four of us have changed and accomplished. In the day-to-day routine of life with young kids, time feels more cyclical than linear. (Wake up. Eat breakfast. Get dressed. Morning activity. Lunch. Afternoon nap. Afternoon activity. Get ready for dinner. Eat dinner. Evening walk. Tubbie time. Candle Time. Brush our teeth. Read stories. Go to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat.) But really, time is a funny doodle that keeps moving forward, loop by loop, unspooling into the future.

I’m very lucky to share every turn with Big D and these beautiful girls. Sure, it’s not a cakewalk. There are epic meltdowns sometimes— but usually, it’s not me!

Thanks to everyone who sent something to include. It really made this a special book for Sonya. It helps remind her of all the people who love her. I look forward to making a book like this for Leena’s third birthday. (Wow… that seems like the distant future!)