Happy Sixth Birthday Nicole!!!

My firstborn is SIX today! That went fast....I think I blinked a few too many times and missed that! I literally seems like maybe three years ago that I had her. What a LONG day that was...Nine days overdue; from start of induction to end, 28 hours; about 2 hours of sleep total during that time; an epidural that only worked on one side (niiiice), and 2 hours of pushing her VERY LARGE head. But worth it. Oh, so worth it!

Nicole is so excited to be six. She must think she's all grown up now! She woke up wonderfully early this morning...too early for me! So she ended up in bed with me, and after I finally came to, I did wish her a happy birthday!

She went to school and was greeted with a balloon and crown at her seat that she wore all day, even in PE! The class all made her cards, and she was very excited to show them all to me. I was actually quite surprised at how well some of these kindergartners write!

Nicole is such a special kid. She has a huge spirit in her six year old body that is just so excited to be on this earth and wants to learn and experience everything NOW! She is described, by me, as "high-spirited". Others may see her as difficult, as do I many times! But that strong desire and stubbornness that she possesses will someday be one of her best qualities. It will keep her strong in a world that will not be easy to deal with, and will hopefully help her cultivate a strong testimony. It will help her be a leader.

I'm so happy I'm her mommy. She fulfilled my fondest desire to create, carry, and give birth to a child. I still remember the exhilaration of my first look at her. And although there are days that her choices of behavior make me want to throw in the towel, I never will. Thank goodness there are those few hours of her precious sleep that help me firm my resolve to help this daughter of God feel loved, learn who she is, and what she is capable of.

Happy Birthday Nicole, and may this next year be a fabulous one!