Happy Birthday to my beautiful 'acykaopepia' girl

Binder Park Zoo field trip 2006

With her cousin, Isabella
Christmas 2009

On this day (also a Thursday), 13 years ago at 9:48 a.m., the most adorable and wrinkly gift from God was placed into my arms for the first time. I was in awe. She was so tiny, so perfect, so ... scary!

 

My 19th birthday present that year was coming home from the hospital with my firstborn. I was madly in love with her. And I was terrified. She was so tiny, I was afraid I would break her legs every time I changed a diaper. I was physically unable to breastfeed, despite trying with great difficulty for 3 months. During that time, I was terrified she would starve to death. She had jaundice twice, and ended up being diagnosed lactose intolerant.

 

With step-dad Scott at our civil wedding
reception, June 19th, 2010

Goofing around with GakSplat at the
Sun Dried Fest in Mason, August 2011

She squaked and snorted, made noises and cried at times for absolutely no reason. By the time she was 6 months old, I knew she would be a talker. She was already starting to parrot the things adults said. By 7 months, she was pulling herself up on the couch and 'walking' sideways along it - she LOVED to do this and would go all the way from one end and back over and over, giggling the whole time. She was free walking by 9 months, and starting to run by 13 months. Her first 'real' word was spoken while watching Law & Order with me one night. They said Encyclopedia on the show, and she looked right at me and said "Acykaopepia, Mama?" For days she walked around with a book she claimed was, "My acykaopepia, Mama!" At her 1st birthday party, she was speaking in entire (short) sentences and basically hosted the party herself.

Community Softball Teams Tournament, Summer 2009

She has always been a combination of terrifying and amazing. I never knew it was possible to be so fiercely in love with and annoyed by someone at the same time until she turned 5. Incredibly intelligent, passionately artistic and musical, and wildly independent, she is insanely organized even when things appear messy, and yet procrastinates horribly.She calls herself my mini-me and constantly begs me to tell her stories about when I was growing up. She bottles things up inside and uses music to let it out. We are completely alike and vastly different. She has a mouthiness that is foreign to me, and a confidence that I still have not been able to acquire. She has a unique and striking beauty with eyes that sparkle when she is happy and smother when she is not, a beautiful and full mouth (that she got from my Daddy's side and I did not haha) that becomes the absolutely most gorgous smile on earth, and a warmth and empathy for others that you can feel just from being near her. She loves to make people smile, and is constantly making notes and pictures just to remind me that she loves me.

 

Her heart for God is incredible, she spends alot of time in prayer for the pain of others to be eased. She created what she calls her 'prayer station' in her room. It consists of a small Holy Water font that she received from our Priest one Christmas that hangs on the wall just at kneeling height. Below that hangs a tapestry of the face of Jesus, also a gift to her from our Priest. Next to that hangs a silver Crucifix (also a gift from our Priest), her Rosary, and a prayer card of Mary. She already has a devotion to our Blessed Mother that is far beyond her years, it is so amazing to see and hear! On the floor where she kneels, there is a small blanket to act as a cushion, and next to that, a basket filled with books about Mary, the Saints, and various prayer cards.

 

I could talk all day about her, but I should get some work done lol so I will end with this:

 

Today, I am so proud to call her daughter, and honored to be called Mama by her. She is my light, my beauty, my passion. I adore her, and could not possibly imagine my life without her. I thank God and pray for her heart every day. As we enter her teenage years together, my prayer is that she draw closer to God, that her desire to be in His presence continues to grow with each passing day. I pray that she never stops wanting hugs and kisses. I pray that her wounds heal, and that she continue to pray for the wounds of others. She is an amazing 13 year old, and today I feel like I'm back where I was, 13 years ago. Holding the most beautiful gift from God, both scared and excited about spending the future with her!