February 9th. An auspicious day. The day my baby girl was born. I can hardly believe that my daughter is 8 years old today! I know "they" say that time goes by more and more quickly the older you get but I was wholly unprepared for the reality of it. It seems like just yesterday I was in the hospital holding my newborn daughter in my arms and wondering what our lives were going to be like from that day forward.
The last 8 years have been a learning experience for all three of us, one that I wouldn't trade for the world. I know I'm not a perfect mom - hell, I'm not even the kind of "mom" I thought I'd be - but I do my best and try to learn from my mistakes and I love my girl fiercely. We may butt heads and push each other's buttons - and I fear the teenage years, my own still lingering in my memory - but every day I learn something from my daughter, and every day she makes me smile and laugh and love her even more (even when I'm at my wit's end!). While she may have inherited her stubborn streak and lack of patience from me (hey, I did say "may have"!) she's definitely her own person and I love seeing that person emerge more with each passing year. It's hard to imagine sometimes how I could be any more proud of her.
The last 8 years have been a learning experience for all three of us, one that I wouldn't trade for the world. I know I'm not a perfect mom - hell, I'm not even the kind of "mom" I thought I'd be - but I do my best and try to learn from my mistakes and I love my girl fiercely. We may butt heads and push each other's buttons - and I fear the teenage years, my own still lingering in my memory - but every day I learn something from my daughter, and every day she makes me smile and laugh and love her even more (even when I'm at my wit's end!). While she may have inherited her stubborn streak and lack of patience from me (hey, I did say "may have"!) she's definitely her own person and I love seeing that person emerge more with each passing year. It's hard to imagine sometimes how I could be any more proud of her.
Today we'll celebrate her day with treats for her classroom, our first official softball practice of the season and a family dinner at the restaurant of her choice. Apparently, the time of Build-a-Bear or paint-your-own-pottery cutesy little girl parties is over. This year, she has chosen to have her birthday celebration on Friday. We'll be taking 5 of her girlfriends to dinner at Benihana (so grown up!), followed by a sleepover. I'm already thinking about what wine to open to help Jason and I get through what is sure to be a noisy, giggly and sleepless night. It's bittersweet to see our girl teetering on the brink of big-girldom. Part of me wants to keep my little girl right where she is, while the other part is excited to see her begin to find herself and her way in the world. Hopefully, she'll still need her mom and dad while she does it.
So to my smart, funny, beautiful, opinionated little girl - Happy Birthday! We love you so much!
So to my smart, funny, beautiful, opinionated little girl - Happy Birthday! We love you so much!
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