5:43M

Twelve years ago at 5:43PM, I had my first child. A girl. She was a teeny thing. She was 6 pounds 11 ounces and 21 inches long. Yep, she was long and skinny. She still is. She was never a fat baby with rolls of fat on her legs. No chubby arms or chipmunk cheeks. But she was the cutest baby I ever saw. She had the biggest eyes. And how curious those eyes were. She wanted to know what was going on all around her all the time. She was a colicky baby. I literally have little or no memory of the first 6 months of her life. I remember the day she laughed for the first time. Dec. 31, 1997. I was having a pity party that day. And whatever I did amused her and she laughed at it. My day was grand after that.

Now 12 years later, she is full of life and energy. She sings and has a definite flare for drama. She loves all animals. Even the slithery ones. She has the gift of gab and a kind and gentle heart that she wears on her sleeve. I won't go on too much as I don't want to embarrass her. I will say she works hard and fights against the odds of being a middle school kid, which let's face it, is no easy task! I will say she always has a smile and she is sometimes wise beyond her years. She has to be a kid after all.

Happy Birthday!