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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

What I was doing 15 years ago...

...if I remember correctly, falling asleep in a hospital bed, while a tiny perfect baby girl slept in a bassinet beside me.  

Oh, she was tiny and perfect.  She had long black eyelashes, just like her daddy.  I prayed for that.  I felt silly about it until she was born and then I was just thankful.  I'd fallen in love with a cute guy with long black eyelashes and I wanted our children to have that. She had a fuzz of dark hair, two perfect arches of eyebrows, and the prettiest little red lips.  She'd been wrapped tightly in a blanket but I'd already counted all the toes and fingers, examined the little arms and legs, the tiny earlobes, the miniature details of a brand new human.

We'd been up all night.  It was only five hours of hard labour but man, it was without a doubt the hardest I'd ever worked in my entire life.  

Fifteen years later we've got this lovely delightful funny bizarre sensitive graceful klutzy gorgeous affectionate smart silly amazing talented beautiful young person living with us.  Every day I marvel that I get to be her mother.

I have a fifteen year old daughter.  It happened so fast...

9 comments:

dilling said...

happy birthday(and happy birthing day)!

restoration42 said...

Last week I became the proud mother of a 28 year old boy. You are SO right. It happens so fast. Happy Birth Day!

Coffeypot said...

Happy Birthday to the both of you. Fifteen years is nothing. It goes by so fast; why next week she will be graduating college.

But you women bragging about your hours of childbirth...ppssshh! I've passed six or seven kidney stones and it took days. I break them up and add them to the rock garden.(sniff, chest out)

Heidi Willis said...

so fast, indeed. Can we pinpoint the day they stop being this extension of us and start being their own person?

I both hate to see mine grow up, and love it. What a wonder.

Paul Tee said...

I couldn't be prouder of my three sons. My oldest is 31, the next is 27 and the youngest is 20 and I have to look up at him. They are their own persons' now, eventhough I still remember cradling each of them in the crock of my arm.

Time does fly, so hold onto the moment, remembering that though trouble may find us, anytime, anywhere, the real important thing in the end is family. My sons will be my witnesses of me having been here. (Although I hope some of the characters I have created in my stories will testify of me.) The only sense in dying is that I'd be making room for them and their children. (Hey, that's not meant to be sad, it's a celebration of the way things are.)

So rejoice on birthdays and out of birthdays, I remind myself when life gets hectic and too little time is left over for dreaming. Enjoy the moment, you'll never see it again.

Congratulations on fifteen years, Heidi, you have done a great job with both of them.

annyong said...

GUYS!!!! GUESS WHAT?!?!?!? I FIT IN THE DRYER!!!!!!!

ISN'T THAT COOL?????

mugwump said...

My little baby is graduating from high school tonight. I'm with you.

Biddie said...

I agree..Your girl is all of those things. She a sweet smile and the cutest laugh (that remind me of your sister). She is kind, and slightly different (in a very good way) and I adore her.
Please tell her that I said Happy Birthday. I did not mail her gift, cuz I was thinking maybe that I might see you soon??? Just a question.
Kayla has prom on Friday night.
KAYLA. PROM. OMG. Remember how tiny she was for soo long????
Time is flying, my friend.

annyong said...

mom, you took a really bad picture of me there. not sayin, just sayin. i'd be ok with it if you put a picture of my face on here.....??? (coughcoughhintcough)