Our SIX year-old

I am pretty much in shock about where the last six years of MG's life have gone. Countless blessings, prayers, laughs, and a few tantrums down the road of childhood and here we are parents to a six year-old girl. This birthday has hit me harder than I pictured it would and I think it has everything to do with when I look at M I definitely don't see the baby pictured about ( what a darling baby she was though), not a toddler, but a full on girl. When did this little girl stop playing with other's shoelaces (one of her favorite pastimes as a baby) and start (almost) mastering tying her own shoes? When did she change from hiding in the house and locking all the doors when the neighbors dog was near to wanting to become a veterinarian? And, what happened to the little toddler, arms crossed, defiantly telling me "I'm not never going to grow up?"
This new stage is a little daunting and I'm wondering if any other moms look at this stage in the same light as I am. I know how to parent babies, I'm good with toddlers, but what about girls, and God help me, preteen and teenage girls (which can't be far away considering how fast the last six years have gone)? I take comfort in the fact that both M and I have sort of learned as we have gone from this point on, remembering my mother asking me while pregnant with M if I even knew how to bathe a child, harsh, but an honest question at the time. Now six years later, thank-you very much, I think if I would get an evaluation for this stay at home mommy job I would be doing a.o.k.
I do know one thing for certain. When M was a baby I told my friends that having her (and KG a few years later) was the best thing DG and I ever did. At the time my childless friends snickered and I suggested they get their heads out of the gutter (jokingly of course), but until you have a child you really can't understand this fully, and then when you do have a child you understand it completely.
So the next years of raising this brilliant, likable, unique girl will undoubtedly hold blessings from the one who gave us this most precious gift, prayers, laughter, and I'm sure a few tantrums, but I'm in for whatever the future holds and I'm thankful DG and I get to raise these special girls even if I am a rookie at it all. Happy sixth birthday, MG.