Eleven

So hard to believe that my little baby girl is 11.  I have such vivid memories of her as a baby, she made me a mama and I love her for it.  My bright-eyed, chubby, talkative little baby has turned into quite the young lady.  I see her every day and it seems that she has grown up overnight.
There are so many things that I love about my Claudia.  She has a very strong interest in people and notices and interacts with things that others miss.  She is often compassionate towards me in her questions and desires (asking me how she can help, asking me how I am doing, etc.)
Claudia is a young girl full of excitement and ideas.  She is a planner and loves to organize.  I often ask her to help me remember things and details, and she does not forget!  She's my personal administrator.  Her ideas often look like planning out plays, skits, parties, etc. to have with her friends or siblings.
One thing I am increasingly grateful for is her humility.  She is quick to admit when she is wrong and ask forgiveness if she has hurt somebody.
Of all my children, she is the one that I see the most of myself in personality wise.  But yet she is different than me is so many ways, she's got a lot of firstborn traits that I never had!!  People often say how much she looks like me.  Tonight as she was looking through these pictures, she said, "Mom, I look like you in these pictures!  I have never noticed that before."
We love you, Claudia and so grateful for you and so happy that you are our firstborn daughter.

FINALLY had a chance to get some shots of my girl tonight.  It was fun to do a "fall" shoot for her summer birthday.