Lucky Number 13

My baby turned 13 yesterday. Excuse me??? She is what now?? That's right...thirteen. I have been on the verge of tears for a few days thinking of this milestone. It seems only yesterday, or maybe last week, I was big, fat and pregnant. We were anxiously awaiting the birth of our first baby, and much to our families' chagrin, we did not know the gender. Since she was our first, we felt no need to know her gender until she arrived. We decorated the room with teddy bears, stars & moons - appropriate for either a boy or a girl. We received gifts of yellow & green sleepers, blankets and onesies. We were set.

The day finally arrived for her to make her entrance, and though I will spare you the gorey details, she definitely came into the world with drama! Preview of coming attractions, though we didn't know it at the time. She didn't sleep much and had major colic...but those things are a distant memory. I remember how she felt in my arms, the smell of her sweet little head, and how she slept the best while laying on my chest. I remember thinking how smart she was and swearing (which I do to this day) that when I sang Itsy Bitsy Spider to her at 3 months old, she put her hands together to make the 'spider'. I remember talking to her as I cooked and explaining every step of what I was doing. I remember thinking 'how is it possible to love someone this much?'

Last night she went to Cotillion at her school...how cool that this special event fell on her 13th birthday! I helped her get dressed, fix her hair, put on her makeup. I teared up a few times thinking that in another 13 years or less I could be doing the same for her wedding, and that if the next 13 go by this fast...I guess its best not to think about that right now. She looked absolutely beautiful and made her mama tear up again once she was all ready to go.

I still hold her every chance I get and smell her head. Yes, things are different now, but those precious moments take me back to my days as a new mommy...and I tear up.