8

Eight years ago, yesterday, I became a mother. I held my tiny precious daughter in my arms and I fell in love immediately.

Earlier that day, when Daniel and i woke up, we lay in bed discussing us and the future and how our life was gonna change completely. I was scheduled to be induced that following day, and so we were gonna spend that day preparing for the next. But as we got up and ready for the day my back felt like it was on fire. I was pretty sure I wasnt contracting cuz it was my back that was killing me, and as far as I knew, contractions were more towards the front. So with each contraction I was doubled over trying to ease some of pain while telling Daniel I wasnt going into labor, and that I was gonna be fine, just give me a few minutes. After the 8th time of the same scene repeating itself Daniel called up my mother, who then told me it sounded like I was in labor and I should go to the hospital-(my mom has been working at an ob/gyn office for years and years and years and in my opinion she is the expert on all things pregnancy related) and since she wouldnt tell me to go if I was just being a wimp about the pain, she was able to convince me that indeed we should go to the hospital. So we, meaning Daniel, packed up a few things into my backpack, grabbed his homework and a book or two to read, grabbed our camera and right before we were off, Daniel gave me a blessing. What peace that sweet prayer brought to me. I was scared about how everything would go and if Kylie was gonna be ok and healthy and was kinda thinking I was gonna die cuz I was in such pain- but with that blessing
I felt a warmth and a calm and knew everything was gonna be ok. So we went to the hospital, and after checking to make sure I was really in labor, they admitted us and soon hooked me up with the happy-dural. Needles freak me out like no other- especially one that size and especially when its going into my vertebrae, but I closed my eyes as tight as I could and tried thinking happy thoughts and then before too long I couldnt really feel the horrid pain I was feeling before. Daniel thought it was funny that I dozed off a time or 2 in the next few hours, mostly because any movie you see with a birth scene  the mother is screaming at the top of her lungs, cussing the father of the baby, sweating and looking like a maniac, but I was just dozing off in between the nurses coming in and out. And then a little bit later my baby girl came into the world.
What a miracle she was. With her ten little fingers, her 10 little toes, her perfect little mouth, her cute little nose, and her eyes- oh heavens her eyes- Kylies eyes were wide open just taking everything in. Granted I know its fuzzy and black and white for babies, but she was so alert and anytime she was awake- her eyes were wide open, and she always had this look like she knew everything that was going on.

So 8 years have flown by and in that time my love for Kylie has continued to grow. I am really so proud of my daughter. She is an amazing 8 year old. Since she is the oldest of our kids, she has had more responsibilities and has had more expected of her than the others and for the most part, she just takes it all in stride. Kylie has been blessed with the gift of learning. She seriously learns so quickly- always has. I wish I was more like that- I think I was more of a daydreamer  when I was her age, but she is focused and attentive and responsible and really loves to learn. Kylie is artistic and creative. she is fun and helpful and quirky in her own ways. She is shy with most everyone but her family, she is sassy at times, a bit spoiled, and goofy, and she has the attitude of a teenager at times and it cracks me up when she rolls her eyes like she is so embarrassed by her parents, as if we do anything remotely embarrassing.  But she has a kind and loving heart. She is an amazing sister to her brothers, an awesome daughter and just a delightful individual.  Oh my heart almost breaks when I think about how much I love this girl!
Yesterday Kylie wanted to bring cupcakes to her class, and not just any cupcakes, but the cupcake pops- you know the kind that bakerella makes. Curse that bakerella for making something look so easy. Holy buckets I was working on those silly things ALL day long- and they still didnt turn out remotely as cute as bakerellas. I am an amateur to the extreme. And another thing- holy freaking mess- my kitchen looked like a war zone!

so I take them over to the school- now Kylie has around 35 kids her in class, so I made 40 just to be sure there were a few extra in case some of them fell from the stick. By the time we got to her class, not only had they started to melt-(blasted freaking desert heat- its September- why cant we cool down yet?) but over half of them fell off their sticks. after all my hard work-- they were dropping like flies. I was irritated. But the kids didnt seem to mind and  thought they were cool and her teacher was acting like she was in heaven while eating one, so either she was a really good actress or they tasted fine just the same. While eating the cupcakes, her class gets to ask her questions. Her teacher asked her if she could have any gift in the world for her birthday, what would she like. Her answer: a baby sister. We are trying Kylie girl. We are trying.
After her little school celebration we came home and I tried to clean the kitchen up, but before I could finish, had to take the birthday girl to gymnastics, after which we had her birthday dinner, and her presents, and finally her cake. Kylie is all into monkeys right now. She has monkey pillows, monkey blankets, monkey pajamas, monkey crafts, monkey backpack, monkey lunchbox. The girl likes monkeys. So she wanted a monkey cake. My kids seem to think I know how to make cakes- ummm- yeah,  I am lousy lousy lousy at decorating anything- cakes, food, houses, anything really--(except my Christmas tree- I take great pride in that sucker! ) But I attempted it anyway. It was kinda funny how cake wrecked it looked, but my Kylie girl loved it and told me it was her most favorite cake ever. She knows how to butter me up I guess.

Anyway I am very grateful that I have been blessed with this beautiful girl of mine. She is a sweetheart and I  couldnt love her more.