Happy Birthday Baby

Today is Rachele's birthday; my oldest daughter, my right-hand girl (Krissy you are my 'left-handed girl' since you are a lefty). Yesterday she had an eye doctor appointment which brought her home, and with a little enticing from me, she spent the night. It was so nice waking up with her on her real birthday! The small things that mean so much to a mother. While scrambling, both of us, to get to work on time, we managed to have coffee together and I did make her a killer egg sandwich to eat later for breakfast. Thinking about her birth, already so many years ago, the memories flood my mind at an alarming rate - and they are so rich - so real - so special. There is something about the birth of your first child. The first time I held her in my arms, marveling at just how tiny yet complete she was, I couldn't believe that she was mine. Especially exciting was that I thought I was having a boy the whole time I was carrying her; but to my complete surprise, I had a daughter. I knew right then and there that I had a best friend for life.

What I didn' know was that through the course of her twenty-something years, just how much I would learn from this daughter of mine. Yes, we teach and teach and teach our children don't we? And that's the way it's supposed to be. But then there are those lucky few of us that happen to get a kid so special, that sometimes we wonder who the child is and who the adult is. So it is with me and my Rachele. She makes it her job to take care of me and the rest of the family. She will drop any plans to come to a family get-together, because it's so important to her. Never hesitating to give her opinion, she will advise me on what to wear, what to buy, what to do with my hair, etc. Sometimes I listen and sometimes I don't, but I always love her for trying.

I have spent this entire day thinking of my little Rachele, my sweet baby. But I also think of my grown-up girl and how much fun we always manage to have, no matter what we do. And she knows how I count the days til she comes home for a visit.

Happy birthday my sweet baby girl - I hope all your wishes come true. I know I have wishes of my own for you, but I'm not telling, cause then they might not come true.