It’s almost unimaginable
that as of today, I have a daughter in the latter half of her first decade –
that’s right, I am mother to a six year old!
It may be cliché but it really does seem like it was just yesterday that
I fell in instant-love with the six pound munchkin whose shrill cries coming
from her tiny lungs filled the air…and my heart. Up to that point, it was the most amazing
sound to ever gratify my ears. Fast
forward six years later, the air is still full of noise from that same set of
pipes except instead of sweet whimpers, it’s continuous chatter.
I remember the day I
saw the plus sign on the pregnancy test and that it had not yet hit me on exactly what was to
come. A few weeks later, however, I
drove to work after my first ultrasound appointment with a first look at the
little life growing inside of me. As I
listened to the song “Baby Mine,” I cried thinking of this precious gift that
my husband and I had created (with the help of our loving Creator – Revelations 4:11) and started to
anticipate what she would be like (yes, I
immediately had the sense that I was having a girl and sure enough, my feelings
were confirmed a few months later at another ultrasound visit). Then on May 21, 2007, I
met my daughter and I was truly, undoubtedly a mom. And that's when life really began!
There are so many
ways I could describe this beautiful blessing of mine.
She is extremely sensitive – both in the way that she is fragile and vulnerable
with her feelings but also as a thoughtful, considerate soul who is perceptive
to others’ feelings. She has a playful
sense of humor, a desire to please others, a stubborn determination, and a
heart made of 24 carat gold. R is just
as lovely on the outside as she is on the inside with a smile that saturates me
with a warmth all over, eyes that speak of innocence and approachability, and a
little button nose that is just asking to be pinched!
One thing I want her
to know is how much I believe in her.
She is smart and incredibly talented especially when it comes to
drawing. I wish I could have a room
simply dedicated to holding all of the pictures she has carefully and
thoughtfully drawn/colored from her splendid imagination - a room where I could
escape from reality and be immersed in one of her castles, gardens or sandy
beaches. She has the potential to be an
amazing artist!
In reflecting on the
past six years, the thing that resonates most is that she is the person that
made me a mom. She taught her daddy and
I how to be parents – starting with the sleepless nights (oh, there were so many)
to the heart-stopping scares (her horrible gag reflexes meant several choking
episodes) to the happier times (more of these than anything else) where we
watched as she learned something new or saw something amazing for the first time. First words, first steps and all of the other
firsts are exciting with each child but it can’t compare to the firsts of your first!
As quick as each day
and year have gone by since bringing sweet R into the world, it is even more
sad to think that this day has already come and gone. She is already tucked away in bed (after a
day just like any other) and hopefully dreaming of things that make her happy
like princesses or flower fields while I am out here reminiscing on as many
memories of her infancy as I can dig up in my dwindling memory bank. She may at times be six going on sixteen but
in so many ways, she is still that shrieking little siren that barely fit into
newborn sized clothes but who completely stole my heart that Monday morning in
May!
