Today Is Golden

9 years ago yesterday I was calling anyone that would listen to me saying, "This kid is NEVER coming out! I'm going to be 70 years old with a 47 year old person inside my body! Didn't this kid read the manual on how to get out??" She was due March 23. I was 16 days overdue & I'd had enough. And the midwife & doctor were wondering what was wrong with my brain because I was the only woman they'd ever dealt with that had refused to come in to be induced. 

I went to my midwife appointment the morning of April 8th. I had to take my 3 older children, ages 6, 5, and 3 1/2, along with me like I did to every other appointment. My 3 year old was a pistol that day. My normally quiet, smiley, sweet child that everyone commented on because they couldn't believe how sweet & happy she was, made me want to claim her as someone else's. I wanted to point to another Mom & say, "Geez, that woman needs to get a handle on that kid!"

She screamed all the way through the parking lot & the receptionists said they heard us coming, she was so loud. I was exhausted, annoyed at this never-ending pregnancy, and way too big to just bend over & carry a child who was throwing fits so I basically dragged her into the midwife's office. On the way down the stairs to my midwife, my 3 year old took her shoes off & threw them down the stairs, just barely missing a very old woman who was walking up the stairs. (I'm still not sure why an old lady was at a midwife...)

A nurse came out & carried her down the stairs for me because I couldn't get her to walk & well, it's apparently not that nice to drag a child down stairs. Actually she said she heard her & saw the shoes flying & figured a very pregnant Mama might need help with a toddler. 

The other 2 kids were embarrassed & telling her to be quiet so Mama doesn't get a headache. We learned 3 year olds don't care if Mama gets a headache.

She screamed through my appointment and on the way home. The next day we joked that she had a sense that her life was about to change BIG time & she was warning me, like dogs warn people when a typhoon is coming. 

At about 7 hours old. She didn't have a name yet.

My entire pregnancy I told everyone, "I don't care if it's a boy or a girl. I just want a red head." I wanted my red hair on one of my children & since it hadn't happened the first 3 times, I was really wanting it to come through on #4. 

At 12:01a on April 9, 2003, I had my beautiful little girl. She was 9 lb. 3 oz. and 24" long. The first thing I said was, "Red hair!" After she was measured I was in awe at the size of her & said, "Wow, she's the size of 2 subs." Is it any surprise that I think of everything in terms of food?

She was my first & only hospital birth & the only one of the grandchildren that my Mom got to witness the birth of. There was 2 things I wanted, a red head & my Mom to see a grandchild born & I got both wishes that day. 

My little girl didn't have a name until April 10, but her oldest sister named her (because she told me,"God told me her name" when I couldn't decide on one) & I gave her my Great Grandma's name as her middle name. 2 years later I was going through a baby book & discovered that her first name is the Scottish version of her middle name. She is the child with the same name twice. 

#4 instantly became the apple of her 5 year old brother's eye & still is. He would do anything for his baby sister & would beg me to let him dress her so he could put her in pink from head to toe. He was very proud of his baby sister & showed her off to everyone.

I didn't think that's how their relationship would be because while I was pregnant, my son announced to my midwife, "You better make that baby a boy. If it's another sister I'm moving in with Grandma & Grampa." When he came to see the baby in the hospital, my midwife asked him, "When are you moving in with Grampa?" My boy said, "I was just joking. I really wanted a baby sister" and held her tight. 

My little family & me on May 23, 2004. 1 year old "Charlie", 6 year old "Dane", 4 year old "Lil Bit", 7 year old "Princess", as they are called by their Grampa. 

 5 generation picture at her 5th Birthday.

 And my red head sitting between 2 friends. Silly girls!

Today I am celebrating a Golden Birthday with a little wild fire who has changed our lives in an amazing way. She came on her own time, not when the calendar or midwife or doctor said she should, and that was just a hint at the strong will that she would show us! 

Happy Birthday to my independent, fiery, spunky, determined, thoughtful, sensitive little girl! 9 years went very fast & every day I'm still amazed by my beautiful Little Monkey.