Nine and Counting

The 27th was YCJ's ninth birthday. My, they are growing like weeds! Nine years ago when I found out I was pregnant with her we counted her as a blessing and we've never been wrong. Tested, yes. But never wrong.

I remember Daddy and I finding out. I remember the bed rest I was put on within the first two months of the pregnancy that lasted for the rest of it along with physical therapy (I pulled a groin muscle at work within 7 weeks of getting pregnant, and pregnancy will simply compound that problem). I remember Daddy catching me "cheating" at my bed rest because I simply couldn't sit still any longer. I remember the day she was born and how full she made my heart. I can remember her first steps, first words, and so many other firsts.

This birthday we had another first for her...

It was the first time, on her birthday, she was ill...

We called all lessons off (not unheard of for us on a birthday to begin with). She rested, for the first time when she's not felt good, with a new penguin instead of Blue Eye. And we attempted to keep things low key. ECJ entertained Peanut while Daddy and I ran a few errands that simply had to be done. Tylenol was given for her low grade fever which hung around for most of the day. Allergy medicine was given for her allergies. We smiled, we hugged, and we reminded her that we love her.

Sometime in the early afternoon I bagged up her gifts (sometimes we don't bother wrapping things in this house) and brought them out to her on the couch. Daddy sat next to her as she discovered what she'd gotten for her birthday from Mom and Dad.

I made her this top, finishing it sometime a few nights ago. Although blue is not her favorite color it's in the top three and it brings out her beautiful blue eyes wonderfully. There's a lighter blue and white bohemian style skirt I'm working on for her but it's simply not finished yet. She was told about it though.




I made her a small bag for her new Hello Kitty compact, children's nail polish, and clear flavored lip glosses. She's trying so hard to grow up so fast. No adult nail polish of her own until she's able to show she not only knows how to apply nail polish but that she can store it safely. No tinted lip glosses until well into her teens and Daddy says no other make up until after she's 17. She's been told all of this and she's ecstatic with her 9 new nail polishes and 5 new lip glosses. It makes her happy that we're listening to her wants, but that we're also setting limits.

I mixed the batter for her cake and then she painted my nails...

She and Peanut enjoyed some of the leftover cake batter and then she painted Peanut's nails too...

Once the cake was out and cooled I frosted it. In a little while, now that supper of hot dogs has been consumed (YCJ's choice for supper), we'll be slicing into it. It's a chocolate and vanilla striped cake with key lime frosting and chocolate sprinkles. None of us have ever had key lime frosting before so we're in anticipation...

Her fever is gone, hopefully for good. The allergy symptoms are slipping back but it'll soon be bedtime after we have cake and she can have another dose right beforehand. She's entirely happy with her low key birthday. She's anticipating a trip to the thrift store to look for a "hippy outfit" (girl after her mother's own heart) on the third of next month. And she's so happy that she saw not only Noni last Wednesday , but also that Grandma and Papa surprised us and stopped by on Sunday to give her a few early birthday gifts!!

Grandma has some of the best taste around. That yellow shirt (with knee length jean shorts) has cute tennis shoes and says "Let's kick it", the pink shirt sparkles (what she's so fascinated by in the picture) and has a set of matching knee length shorts, and she got a replacement for her "popping" game since she'd lost pieces to her old one.

She told me just a few minutes ago that even though she wasn't feeling well today it was one of her best birthday's ever. And for that I am so glad. I often want to mold my children into some shape or form, but with this one I can see God's plan so clearly. She's modest, sweet, attempts to be friends with everyone, loves God, and is thankful for everything she gets. She wasn't always this way, we had a hard lesson about not being grateful a few years ago when her attitude slipped for a few months. But, she's blossoming. She's growing up. And though I know she is in a rush (weren't we all) I'm ever so glad that God has seen fit to have them grow as slowly (though it may not always appear so to our parenting eyes).

Happy birthday sweet girl. We love you!!

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