Happy Birthday

Today my family celebrates the birthday of my oldest child. Little T is 12 years old. I can't believe it! I know I say that every year and it never fully seems to sink in that she is this old. Twelve years ago I was a scared, excited, and overwhelmed brand new momma. She was delivered at 8:45 am by my midwife Fran. As she was coming her heart rate dropped and they needed to get her out fast. The next few hours were a blur not knowing exactly what was wrong with her. The nurses assured me she was okay but the fact that I wasn't able to see her was definitely telling me a different story. When I finally got to see her about an hour later, my joy turned into fright. I saw my baby there hooked up to so many machines and had no idea what was going on. Two hours later we were discharged and heading to a different hospital that could care for her better. We spent a total of 10 days in an amazing hospital that helped and encouraged us as brand new parents. T ended up having Trachiamalasia. Her Trachea was not fully developed and therefore she struggled to breath.

We spent the next three months carrying around our precious girl with an oxygen tank and apnea monitor just to keep her well. God graciously healed her and she never needed any surgery to repair her Trachea. She was strong and grew out of it all on her own. Needless to say being a mother at seventeen and a father at nineteen, we sure grew up pretty fast when she came into the world.

She really has grown into a beautiful loving girl. Next year I might call her a young lady but for this year I am sticking with girl. That just adds way too much anxiety for me. T has always been a very independent person. She doesn't cuddle much, especially when she was a baby. She loves to figure things out on her own and do things for herself. She has become much more outgoing than she used to be. Don't get me wrong, she is still shy, but she has come out of her shell a little. She is a homebody. Anytime we are going anywhere she would much rather stay at home. She loves to read. She loves to bake. She loves to ride bikes and roller skate. She has become much more girlie. Loves to straighten her hair and wear earrings. She has always had her own sense of style and loves trying new things. You will never see her without skinny jeans.

Her passion is soccer. It has given her a confidence that has helped her reach out to her friends and love on them. I know when we are too concerned about our insecurities that we can't focus on others. I believe that the last year she has become much more confident in who she is so that she can focus on others and make them feel good. She is currently playing for the U12 girls tournament team through our local AYSO. She plays sweeper and sometimes defense. She is small, but super fast.

I am so in love with her and I love seeing who she was intended to be. God is a major part of our lives and I know that each day she grows closer to Him. At this age it really is us breathing God into our children but T has hit a point of asking questions for her own curiosity and I love seeing her connect the dots! I can't wait to see what God does in her life.

Some of my favorite things about T:
    ~ Her sense of humor. You know the one where she laughs so hard at her own jokes...yep that's it!
    ~ Her style. Not being afraid of being her
    ~ Her up tightness...ok it's not actually my fav, but it something she got from me
    ~ Her athleticism. Nothing like cheering for her from the sidelines
    ~ How much she loves her daddy
    ~ Her drive to be the best she can be
    ~ Her patience with her little brother

I love you baby girl!