My Birthday Girl

Today is my Abbie-girl's birthday. She is eight. Truly, the years have flown by with her. When she was born I had a just turned three year old and a 1 - 1/2 year old. The first three years of her life seem like a blur to me. But there are some things I will always remember.

The way she looked when she was born. She was so long and skinny. Such dark skin. Beautiful silky dark hair. I remember telling Rebekah on the phone that she didn't even look like one of my children, she seemed so different than the boys. It felt funny to hold a girl and dress her in pink at first. But in pink I did and I loved it! By the way, she quickly lost that hair and only had fuzz until about 1 year. And the skinny. That was over by month one. She was a chub-ball and I delighted in it. She had fat rolls and rubberband arms and legs like you wouldn't believe. I could kiss them all day. She was such a happy baby and she would just sit in her bouncy seat and watch her brothers play. She squealed like crazy when her daddy walked in the house at night. She was the third baby and we could just take her anywhere. She truly was a happy-go-lucky baby.

I remember one night staying up the entire night with her when she had an ear infection. We walked the whole house as I tried to soothe her.

I remember when she was one and 1/2 and standing in front of my Bible Study group (about 150 ladies) and crying and begging them to please pray for my Abbie. She had run a fever for a month unexplained and had stopped walking. It hurt her to stand on her legs. The doctors were testing her for juvenile arthritis and as her mother I literally could not bear the thought of her being in such pain. Those ladies and the grandparents prayed fervently for her and the next week it all disappeared. Just gone.

I remember how long it took for her to finally grow enough hair for me to put it up in barrettes and ponytails and how she cut it herself when she was two and ruined that for me for awhile. She cut it so bad she had to go get it cut basically like a little boy.

I remember decorating her room with my sister when we moved her to this house. She was going to have a room all to herself and we wanted it to be so girly and precious.

I hope I always remember her standing with me in the bathroom as I put on my makeup and fix my hair. We talk about the makeup and she begs me to let her wear some. When I apply a little lip gloss or blush to her checks it makes her day. I used to do the same thing with my mom.

I am still amazed that she is my daughter. Sometimes she acts just like me and my mom, and other times she is just like her Granny Clark. She is funny and her kindness is such an example to me. She watches out for what other people miss. The day we had our yard sale one of Betty's friends brought her disabled granddaughter over to check out the yard sale. The 21 year old could not talk and could not walk very well. She was probably at the development of a 5 year old. Abbie took her in the back and played on the swing set with her. She made flower bracelets with her. She talked with her and walked slowly with her around the house and showed her things. The grandmother taught Abbie some sign language she could do with her and now Abbie wants to learn all the signs so she can talk help more people. Just yesterday at Publix the man who was bagging our groceries was completely bent over with his back problems. I'm not sure what the issue was, but he worked so hard to pack our groceries. Abbie watched him and when he asked her if she would like a coloring book she walked right over to him, looked him in the face, and said "Yes Sir." in the sweetest voice. My heart swelled with love for her right then.

I love my girl.