Seveteen Years Seems Like Forever.........
seventeen years seems like forever to me. I am very grateful for journals, photos and baby books that I have kept, because lets get real, my memory is not so great anymore.
I have heard women say that they forget the pain from child birth and are ok then to have more babies. That's great for them but, Um, yea, I may forget a lot of things, but I remember that pain.
What was that night like for me so long ago? I wish it had started and ended on the same day, but unfortunately with many child birth stories, it starts the night before.
My parents had come to Louisiana to see us for the Christmas holiday. I was excited for my mom to see my pregnant. We were living 14 hours away from them at the time and traveling for me was not an option. My mom was upset that the time had come for them to leave and travel back home to Illinois from their extended stay, but we made the most of their last day in LA, with shopping and eating scrumptious cake from Bon Appetite.
My brother David was still in high school and had come with them. He had asked us for a set of camouflage fatigues for Christmas. Jeremy was in the Air Force, and we could buy him real military issued ones. Don't ask me what the thrill is with putting on military clothing, I have never understood it. He used to love to play army men when he was little and maybe you don't grow to old for some things?!
I remember very clearly that David was putting the uniform on and he said "watch me get these all on and Heather will go into labor.!" We all laughed because I was not due for another 2 weeks.
But, on that Monday night, December 29th at 8:15pm, my water broke while I was sitting at the dining room table paying bills and my brother was putting on his camoflouge uniform. Ready or not, Katie was coming into this world. It was time to head to the hospital!!! I rode in the car with Jeremy & David while my parents followed behind us. I had my bag that was packed with my cutest pre-pregnancy outfit and some adorable flats that I could wear home from the hospital. (insert laughter here).....ok, so yes, I was very young and it was my first child. Nobody filled me in on the fact that once you have the baby, your body just doesn't pop back to normal. I am fairly certain that I wore my maternity clothes home! Blah!
Back in the car on the way to the hospital, I was so nervous and sick to my stomach at the uncertainty of everything. I said to David that I couldn't do this and he sweetly replied that it was too late, no turning back. yikes!!
I was the first woman of about 18 others in the hospital that night to arrive in labor, and on Tuesday, December 30th, I was the last one out of all of them to deliver. I was in labor all night and finally after 1 1/2 hours of pushing, this beautiful little girl entered the world at 10:45am. She was an absolute miracle from God.
Dr.Heard took her and placed her in my arms. For the first time, I was face to face with my daughter, Katherine Elizabeth. She weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces and measured 19 inches long. She had blue eyes, black hair, and a dark olive complexion. My mom looked at her and said "are you sure she is yours??".
She was mine and she was perfect. That morning when she was laying in my arms, I had no idea what the world had in store for her or that she would end up taking this world by storm!
Seventeen years seems like forever.
January 18th 1998. Katie was dedicated at Central Baptist church by Reverend Bobby Dye.
February 5th 1998. Katie took her first airplane ride to fly from Louisiana to Illinois.
March 1998. Katie rolled from her tummy to her back and she started smiling.
April 1998. Katie started holding toys on her own.
July 1998. Katie started crawling
December 1998. Katie took her first steps and she got her first tooth.
December 30, 1998. Katie turned 1 and she weighed 19 pounds and was 28 inches long.
March 1999. Katie said her first words which consisted of ball, mommy, daddy, baby, baba and doggy.
Seventeen years seems like forever, but when you are raising children, it's not. The days quickly turn to years....................
Katie is no longer the wobbly toddler that used to climb all over the dogs and carry her baba around. She is no longer the kindergartner that was so excited they had pink milk at school lunch and you could just go and take it everyday for yourself. (Side note: it is NOT free, and you will get a bill at the end of the year for all of the pink milk that your kindergartener has been taking.) She is no longer the giggly 5th grader that spent every moment she could playing polly pockets with her best friend, Natalie.
She is no longer the junior higher who had her first date to a dance, first boyfriend, or who struggled with anxiety and learning to let God handle all of her problems rather than trying to manage them all herself. She is no longer the 10th grader who stepped out of her comfort zone and made color guard for the Marching Blue Devils, got her learners permit and kept fighting for her 4.0 GPA, she is no longer the 16 year old that had a super sweet 16 party, got her license, made National Honor society and never left her mom's side when her mom struggled through the cancer.
She is 17. She is still in high school but creeping closer everyday to finishing this amazing season of her life. She is the fighter that Dr. Heard put onto my lap that sweet December morning. She is still the blue eyed beauty that has me and her dad wrapped around her finger after all these years. She is my daughter!
Happy 17th birthday Katie.
Be Strong. Smile.
Know that beauty has everything to do with how you feel about yourself and nothing to do with looks or other people's opinions. Never do anything just because everyone else is, if you believe that it's wrong. Always be true to yourself. Expect the best from life and that's what you'll get. Learn from your mistakes and failures. Wish upon stars. Love. Trust. Be compassionate. Make faces. Play in mud puddles. Take bubble baths. Dance. Laugh. Cry. Sing whenever you want to. Read good books. Stand up for what is right even when stand alone. Don't be afraid to try something new. Run through snow drifts. Spin in circles and roll down hills. Never apologize for being yourself. Never forget how much you are loved!
I have heard women say that they forget the pain from child birth and are ok then to have more babies. That's great for them but, Um, yea, I may forget a lot of things, but I remember that pain.
What was that night like for me so long ago? I wish it had started and ended on the same day, but unfortunately with many child birth stories, it starts the night before.
My parents had come to Louisiana to see us for the Christmas holiday. I was excited for my mom to see my pregnant. We were living 14 hours away from them at the time and traveling for me was not an option. My mom was upset that the time had come for them to leave and travel back home to Illinois from their extended stay, but we made the most of their last day in LA, with shopping and eating scrumptious cake from Bon Appetite.
My brother David was still in high school and had come with them. He had asked us for a set of camouflage fatigues for Christmas. Jeremy was in the Air Force, and we could buy him real military issued ones. Don't ask me what the thrill is with putting on military clothing, I have never understood it. He used to love to play army men when he was little and maybe you don't grow to old for some things?!
I remember very clearly that David was putting the uniform on and he said "watch me get these all on and Heather will go into labor.!" We all laughed because I was not due for another 2 weeks.
But, on that Monday night, December 29th at 8:15pm, my water broke while I was sitting at the dining room table paying bills and my brother was putting on his camoflouge uniform. Ready or not, Katie was coming into this world. It was time to head to the hospital!!! I rode in the car with Jeremy & David while my parents followed behind us. I had my bag that was packed with my cutest pre-pregnancy outfit and some adorable flats that I could wear home from the hospital. (insert laughter here).....ok, so yes, I was very young and it was my first child. Nobody filled me in on the fact that once you have the baby, your body just doesn't pop back to normal. I am fairly certain that I wore my maternity clothes home! Blah!
Back in the car on the way to the hospital, I was so nervous and sick to my stomach at the uncertainty of everything. I said to David that I couldn't do this and he sweetly replied that it was too late, no turning back. yikes!!
I was the first woman of about 18 others in the hospital that night to arrive in labor, and on Tuesday, December 30th, I was the last one out of all of them to deliver. I was in labor all night and finally after 1 1/2 hours of pushing, this beautiful little girl entered the world at 10:45am. She was an absolute miracle from God.
She was mine and she was perfect. That morning when she was laying in my arms, I had no idea what the world had in store for her or that she would end up taking this world by storm!
Seventeen years seems like forever.
January 18th 1998. Katie was dedicated at Central Baptist church by Reverend Bobby Dye.
February 5th 1998. Katie took her first airplane ride to fly from Louisiana to Illinois.March 1998. Katie rolled from her tummy to her back and she started smiling.
April 1998. Katie started holding toys on her own.
December 1998. Katie took her first steps and she got her first tooth.
December 30, 1998. Katie turned 1 and she weighed 19 pounds and was 28 inches long.
March 1999. Katie said her first words which consisted of ball, mommy, daddy, baby, baba and doggy.
Seventeen years seems like forever, but when you are raising children, it's not. The days quickly turn to years....................
Katie is no longer the wobbly toddler that used to climb all over the dogs and carry her baba around. She is no longer the kindergartner that was so excited they had pink milk at school lunch and you could just go and take it everyday for yourself. (Side note: it is NOT free, and you will get a bill at the end of the year for all of the pink milk that your kindergartener has been taking.) She is no longer the giggly 5th grader that spent every moment she could playing polly pockets with her best friend, Natalie.She is no longer the junior higher who had her first date to a dance, first boyfriend, or who struggled with anxiety and learning to let God handle all of her problems rather than trying to manage them all herself. She is no longer the 10th grader who stepped out of her comfort zone and made color guard for the Marching Blue Devils, got her learners permit and kept fighting for her 4.0 GPA, she is no longer the 16 year old that had a super sweet 16 party, got her license, made National Honor society and never left her mom's side when her mom struggled through the cancer.She is 17. She is still in high school but creeping closer everyday to finishing this amazing season of her life. She is the fighter that Dr. Heard put onto my lap that sweet December morning. She is still the blue eyed beauty that has me and her dad wrapped around her finger after all these years. She is my daughter!
Happy 17th birthday Katie.
Be Strong. Smile.
Awesome tribute to your beautiful daughter. Happy birthday, Katie. Love, Aunt Linda
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