Happy Birthday to our Butterfly

Once upon a time there were these two very young people who were madly in love. They dated through their high school days, fought, broke up, made up and after three and a half years and graduation decided it was time to get married.

Odds against them, everyone thinking he was a jack ass and she was pregnant, the couple threw caution to the wind, turned their noses up at those nay-sayers and evil doers and tied the knot. Being young and free the two of them could have cared less what everyone else thought--they were in love and wanted to be together for the rest of their lives.

Life was going great, happiness abundant and neither regretted a single moment of the last nearly four years of their life together.

About 3 months after they were wed, she was cleaning up a chicken for dinner. Out of the blue a wave of nausea passed over her and she began to feel faint. Hmmm, maybe it was too much partying or something because after all, out on their own finally, free from the parental restraints, the couple discovered how much fun the other side could have!

Of course she slowed way down on the drinks but after awhile realized that wasn't it. Gagging at the smell of a burger or nearly vomiting while preparing noodles...ohoh...Pregnant? No, not that, she wasn't ready for that, not until they were 25...they had just talked about that!

Here she was, 20 years old, still enjoying life and settled with the idea that life was going to be an over indulgence of parties, late nights, and fun with her husband and friends....and mostly, still just a child herself, how would she ever mother an infant when she barely knew how to mother herself....

She took a pregnancy test while out of state with her husband and walked out of the bathroom in shock with a feeling of excitement mixed with fear and sadness. Yes, it was pink. A baby, omg, how were they ever going to do it?

Needless to say, the pregnancy was bliss. The girl seemed to snap overnight into a mom eating healthy, sleeping eight hours every night, the drinking and partying weren't even a thought. Her belly grew and she worried so much how her poor cats were going to feel when a new little human entered their home.

Oh and this little bundle of joy was due on their one year anniversary...what luck. Neither he or she wanted that as they had heard how that throws such a wrench into things in some respects. But, their anniversary came and went...and the next day, and the next day and the next day...the girl was getting impatient now. And finally, 6 days overdue....

The day came...it was duck opener. The expectant mother awoke to some awful pains at about 4:30am...just about the time her husband was due to wake up to go 'kill them some dinner'. Oh, the pains hurt so bad but as labor goes, the girl wanted to make real sure it wasn't false so she turned off her husband's alarm and let him know that his plans may have to change, took a warm shower to ease the pain, which incidentally never subsided but got worse. She was pretty certain it was time...

They headed to the hospital around 7:30am....she was terrified because she's never been great with pain and that pain...oh my. Upon arrival she was informed that she was in fact in labor, things were moving along nicely and all they had to do was wait for that moment..

That moment came at about 8:20am...time to see what little creature was brewing inside of her....and by 8:40 they met their first born baby girl. The girl's husband said, "What do we do now?" as she held that little peanut and looked in awe and she could only say "I don't know".

Today is that little peanut's twenty first birthday. She's such a beautiful butterfly...my butterfly. She's full of life and spirit, strong, and a girl who will whisk into any room and liven it up. She's got thee most beautiful blue eyes and a heart bigger than I thought was possible. And she's a mother and a wife herself...many times I look at her and relate so closely to her experiences, feelings and parenting. I often wonder if she knows how often I look at her and it's like looking in the mirror of my past.

She's certainly given us our share of worries and gray hairs, tears and joys, but overall...she has taught me how to be a good mom, how to love the future siblings that came along, how to handle good an bad, and mostly how to handle those mistakes I've made as her mom.

That young girl who gave birth to this wonderful human being transformed into who I am today...not because of me but because of the birth of a tiny little girl who changed my life.

I love you more than there are stars in the sky my baby girl. We won't soon forget this milestone year for you! Happy, Happy Birthday Peanut!