10 months

My baby is ten months old.
And, really, she is not a baby anymore.
It happened quickly... infant to baby to pre-toddler.
In a blink.  I blinked and she was no longer a baby.

She wants to keep up with her big sisters. 

I thought for sure that my baby - who truly is the baby in birth order - would want to stay a baby for as long as possible:  riding on my hip till she is six, carrying a baba around till she begins kindergarten, sucking on a pacifier till her baby teeth fall out, and wearing diapers till the principal calls to reprimand me.  I really thought she would stay a baby for as long as I wanted her to.

Well, she didn't.

She is on the verge of walking.  Yes, walking. 

I am not ready.

This has been a great year.  And so the preparation begins to plan her very FIRST BIRTHDAY party.  LADYBUGS.

Last year, my little girl was born on my eldest daughter's first day of second grade.
The year before, my middle little had sutures on my eldest daughter's first day of first grade.
The year before that, my eldest daughter's first day of kindergarten was a dud and it set the tone for the entire year. 

So what could possibly happen on the first day of third grade?

My eldest has a plan:

Before putting baby to bed, I am to write a secret message on baby's diaper.
In the morning, daddy is to get baby out of bed and change her diaper.
When he changes the diaper, he will discover the secret message:
"I am going to be a BIG SISTER!"

With camera in hand, we capture daddy having a heart attack. 

I think we will proceed with my eldest daughter's plan.  It will be a memorable start to her third grade year!!