The first one came September 27th, 2009. The second one came March 9th, 2012. Then the third one came April 22nd, 2013. The fourth came April 25th, 2015, and while I'm sure there will be more, the four that I have to love now have taught me so much in the past few years. I didn't think I could love anyone quite as much as I could love their silly laughter and pinch-able faces, their stubbornness and strong opinions, or their sass and imagination.

As cheesy as I'll sound right now, kids really do teach you everything that really matters in life. They teach you that it's okay to be upset about silly things, as long as you move on in a few minutes (and you always will.) They taught me how to see the beauty in dandelions and weeds, prickly grass, terrifying bugs, and just making up an entire scene out of nothing. They taught me to embrace my inner self because there's nothing like dressing up as a princess for Halloween, for catching spiders with your bare hands (though I'll leave that up to them,) for constantly using the adjective "frustrated" perfectly even when you're only three, and for always smiling even seconds after face-planting. They taught me that sometimes lying on the floor is really the only solution to a stressful time.

I can say for sure that I wouldn't be who I am without the four of them. I wouldn't be as happy as I am; I always know that the babies will provide just as much therapy as anybody else (and they're mostly free, too!) If I ever need to cheer up, all I need to do is call and talk to one of them for a few minutes. Few people can make anything as simple as kids, and my nieces and nephew do that so perfectly - no matter how bad things are, one smile, a story I can't quite follow, or a hug can make any day ten times better. A bad day can be cured by them in seconds because it's hard to stay mad when a little kid is insisting you play with one of their toys, making you sit down to have a tea party or color for them, or asking you to build a block tower.

Thank you Jack-Jack, Noelley, Sadie, and GiGi, for being my four favorite people in the entire world. I don't know what I would do without you and the things that you've taught me, and will continue to teach me. I love you all.