My Little Girl, Jess

Fifteen years ago today my little girl came in to the world. My due date was August 19, and she was taking her sweet time joining the rest of us. I was so ready for her to be born! I kept a diary about it, and the common thread was that it was hot and I felt like I was going to explode. ;)

She entered the world at 4:04 in the afternoon, after 14 hours of labor. She weighed 7 lbs and 14 oz. She looked like a duplicate of her brother, Josh. We all felt like we'd entered the twilight zone because of that.

She had a bit of breathing trouble because of being overdue. It's weird, I'd always heard of premies having trouble breathing because of underdeveloped lungs, but never pulmonary issues due to staying in the uterus too long. I guess I just made it too comfy in there for her. :)

I kept telling my doctor that I sensed she was ready to be born, and he kept saying that the sonogram, even though it concluded that my original due date was correct, had a variance of one to two weeks. He understood I was miserable, but it was better to let "nature take its course" than to induce my labor. Of course, I was just the patient and he was the one with the medical degree. So I kept my (very bloated) silence.

Anyway, I'm going to post "13 Things I Love about My Daughter" as a tribute to her on this, her fifteenth birthday.

1. She has the cutest laugh ever!
2. She speaks her mind and doesn't apologize for it.
3. She is 5' tall, but she is tough! She once ducked a punch from a neighbor boy, then knocked him on his butt with one punch. Growing up as the middle child between two brothers has its advantages.
4. She has a flair for style. The older she gets, the more she grows in to her own "look."
5. She's spent hour upon hour teaching herself Spanish. She's dedicated to becoming fluent in that language. I admire that.
6. She loves music, and is always singing.
7. She's not swayed by what's currently the popular thing to do. She's who she is, and doesn't care what other people think.
8. She has a sweet smile, and she smiles a lot.
9. She has a compassionate heart for animals and people.
10. I didn't know this until the other day, but she taught herself how to edit and write html codes...without even pausing when she's typing. I was amazed! She's a quick learner, except in math, which was always my weak subject, too.
11. She is not a quitter! She's one of the most tenacious people I know.
12. She is beautiful....and has the most gorgeous brown eyes!
13. Her emotions can be quite powerful at times, (like her momma) and she lives life by diving in head first. She stands up for what she feels and doesn't back down. She will always strive to have the last word, and it is my conclusion that she should pursue a career as a lawyer. ;)

I love you, baby girl! Happy Birthday!