Nine years ago today...

... a nurse placed you in my arms and in my heart forever.


The moment I held you and looked at you... you stopped squalling and tried to focus those beautiful eyes on my face. Ever since that day, you always check on me throughout the day... just to make contact and to ensure all is well.

In honor of that momentous day in our lives.... I have a list of 9 things about you:

1. You (my 5th child) were born on the same day as my mother's fifth child, who incidently was also a girl.
   
2. You spent the first year of your life attached to my hip (or one of your sisters' hips/backs) as your dad was in Korea that year, and you would NOT tolerate anyone else but your family.


3. You never would take a bottle....ever... much to my chagrin....and everyone elses. (Sorry, Aunt E & Uncle J /Aunt T !) You did briefly take a binkie...and then your two middle fingers for a short time. But gave it all up by the time you were about 8 1/2 months old. At that age (8 1/2 months), you pretty much skipped the crawling and went straight to walking.
   
4. You used to bring bugs to me by their anntenae. You loved to catch them, and have always been facinated to see them in real life. My worst memory of that was when you were about 18 months, and brought me a huge Texas Palmetto (a.k.a. flying cockroach.)
   It gags me even now as I type this.


5. We worried that at 15 months, when your dad returned from Korea, that you wouldn't go to him and you wouldn't bond with him. But the moment you saw your sisters and brother hugging and kissing him you went straight to him and have been Daddy's Girl ever since.
   
6. From the moment you could hold a pencil, you wanted to do "School" like the big kids. You nearly taught yourself to read before I realized you could even sound out words, (Oh, the guilt over that one). Many-a-schooldays, as I worked with AJ to improve his reading skills, you'd whisper the sound or word for him from where you were doing your own work. You simply could not stand to see him struggle. Your passion for learning brings a smile to my face.


7. You are a stubborn one. Which can be good if you use it for the good. Take schoolwork for example. You don't quit until you have accomplished what you want. And all your hardwork pays off...as you are doing grades ahead of other kids your age.
   Sometimes, it's bad... for example...when you were ONE... and completely enthralled with the 15 very STEEP non-carpted stairs we had in our house. No matter how many gates we put on that stairway, and when we'd think there was NO WAY you'd get over them... you'd work yourself over them like we'd done nothing. You would not give up, not even when you suffered a concussion from your various falls.
   
8. You've never liked ice cream.... and still don't. However you ate so much cheese your first 5 years, I thought you'd turn into cheese. I knew I really rated in your life when, at 3 years old, you said these tender words that I shall never forget: " Mommy, I love you more than cheese!"
   
9. Your favorite color is pink. Although... these days you try to pretend it's purple or blue. But when it comes down to it... you still choose pink when given a choice. (Prime example: today in church, when they sang happy birthday to you and offered you your choice in "I Am A CHILD OF GOD" magnets, you immediately picked the pink one.)
   

Happy birthday, sweetie.