I am sitting here on the first day of spring, watching Harper play on the new swing set we got for the kids in the backyard. She is wearing three different floral prints, pink rain boots on a sunny day & carrying her plastic cell phone. She sits at the top of the slide, pretends to answer her phone, peeks over at me with a grin from ear to ear, and then slides down, exclaiming at the bottom, "I did it!" Harper is something special, truly.

She has a fierce personality. She is strong-willed, independent, and hilarious, and, from an early age, she proves she will go through this world with confidence and dance to the beat of her own drum. She is a daredevil, adventurous, and, for better or worse, fearless. We have been to the hospital twice on Harper's behalf & we joke that when she hurts herself, she goes real big. If Nathan and I had to guess who would end up with their first broken bone in our house, it would not be Elliott.

Harper loves to sing and perform, and apparently thats what she wants to be when she grows up. She just recently started going to school two days a week, and when I saw one of her art pieces of things she loves, it was hard for me not to tear up.

She memorizes books and songs, sings in tune, and will blow us all away at any given moment. We often have dance parties in our living room, and Harper is the first to join in, jumping up and down, laughing uncontrollably — it's impossible for her joy not to be infectious. As I write this blog, she is sitting on the floor, wearing turquoise heart-shaped sunglasses, singing along to Encanto.

Harper and Elliott are wildly close. I didn't grow up with blood siblings of my own to truly compare, but I watch the two of them play, and I just know they have a love and a friendship that runs deep. Before Harper was born, I really did worry that growing up in the shadow of her older brother would be hard. It took about a week after her birth for Nathan and me to realize she would hold her own pretty easily with just about anyone. She is her brother's protector, and vice versa. They look out for each other, and often they choose to hold hands, snuggle on the couch, or ask each other for a hug. She is also not afraid to kick her brother in the face if she wants space.....so you win some, you lose some ;)

She is Elliott's biggest cheerleader, and he is already her hero, but I would also venture to say she is his, too. They are like each other's yin and yang. She will be the first to say "good job, brudder!" when he has an accomplishment, when she sees him working hard at something, or when she simply watches him during his therapies. Harper makes Elliott smile as no one else can.

Harper was born in August of 2020, so right in the middle of the pandemic. We decided it felt fitting to give her the middle name Hope. Little did we know how perfectly that name would suit her. She exudes joy and gives our family hope every single day. She is our little light that shines bright, and it has been that way since day one, when she came out of the womb and instantly fell asleep on me.

Harper, you are our ray of sunshine. I couldn't be happier that you are mine, and we all get to be a family together. Your joy is what this world needs more of, and it has certainly helped me in some of my darker days. I can't wait to see more of who you become. I can't wait to see the outfits you pick, the jokes you play on your brother, and the way you continually turn your dad into a puddle from a single look. I can't wait to watch you soar and move mountains in this world. I love being your biggest champion, cheerleader & confidant, and I will never stop.

Here's to the strong women.

May we know them.

May we be them.

May we raise them.