For years, Gigi Hadid has taken great care to protect her daughter, Kai, from unwanted attention. In fact, the public didn't even know the child's last name until she recently published an Instagram tribute to Kai, who celebrated her fourth birthday on Friday, September 20. (Incidentally, it's Malik, the same as her father and former One Direction band member Zayn Malik.)

We've seen carefully hidden images of the child before, but this post is our first glimpse inside Gigi Hadid's life and style as a mother. Not surprisingly, the knitwear mogul dresses somewhat differently when spending the day with her little one. For example, in a photo that appears to have been taken at Yolanda Hadid's Texas ranch, Hadid appears to be wearing a brown trucker hat, black sunglasses, and an oversized charcoal gray jacket.

To celebrate Kai's fourth birthday party, Hadid wore paint-splattered camouflage pants, a white tank top, black flip-flops, and a brown plastic headband, incorporating her daughter's penchant for playful prints. In true birthday girl fashion, Kai wore statement pink cowboy boots.

In an impromptu dance session in the kitchen filmed by Hadid's sister, Bella, Hadid was cozy in a brown beanie, brown UGG boots, light gray shrug, charcoal gray T-shirt, and drawstring sweatpants. Kai, who danced barefoot and mid-chested, looked downright comfortable in a light pink long-sleeved shirt and red leggings.

Bella is also known for this tender snap of Gigi holding Kai. Again, Hadid is wearing a brown headband, blue jeans, chunky rings, and a cream cable knit cardigan. Kai, on the other hand, clings to his mother in charcoal gray rib-knit pants and long pigtails.

Bella concluded her tribute to Kai's birthday with a photo of Gigi holding art supplies in brown slippers, gray sweatpants, and a Farm Rio patchwork tapestry smiley reversible puffer jacket. Thankfully, Found offers an equally colorful tapestry print puffer.

Like many mother-daughter duos before her, Gigi seems to be taking style notes from Kai by leaning on whimsical prints and soft, comfortable materials. Imagine what kind of mother-daughter coordination these two will dream up when Kai is old enough to borrow his mother's closet. Someone hand me a box of Kleenex! I'm crying happy tears just thinking about it.