Today is my sweet Strawberry Sunshine's 6th birthday. I know it is cliche' but I cannot begin to beleive you are that old aready. Did time just speed up?
I remember when Daddy and I found out we were expecting...or should I say daddy TOLD me we were. He swore he knew we were expecting,so I went home from our camping trip with Marissa at Brown Mountain Beach and rushed to take a test.If only to prove the smart but wrong! Ooops! he was right!
After the next 7 months of bedrest and a few scary trips to the hospital with major issues,we were finally 9 months and it was the day before New years Eve on the millenium! 2000 in 2 days.To think, i could have the millenium baby! Well, in your now true fashion,you were VERY LATE.
We were watching a movie on t.v. lying on the pullout bed from the couch(I was on bedrest and the only bathroom was downstairs....get it?)and the movie had just ended. I had felt nothing out of the ordinary that day(more than 10 days after my due date). I stood up to stretch and oops! what is that? Oh crap! its my water leaking in spurts? Time to go buh bye!
We loaded up and rushed to the E.D. After 6 hours of complete back labor and nothing for pain, not even a tylenol ,(I am woman watch me deliver without drugs !even though Daddy begged.)Here was the most beautiful baby girl we had ever seen. All wrinkeled and....Orange?
Yep, I said Orange! Jaundice sucks. They stuck you,poked you, put you under a special light blanket and wisked you away. I couldn't even breast feed you except with a dropper like you use for kids medicine cause you were so sick.
After about 24 hours of watching and pokin,prodding and ecetera the docs released you for your first picture. I laugh every time i see that picture! So tiny,so orange, so PISSED OFF ! your face was wrinkled up in pure 'i just swolled vineger' like pose like you wanted to beat up all the nurses,your lil fists clenched by your face waiting for the next assalut.
Another few hours and you got to come home.Granted for the next month you had to be fed on dropper,wrapped in the billie blanket and gently monitored,but HOME! We bundled you in a pure white snowsuit with a silken lining that your Papa and Grammie sent from NH and put you in your car seat with so much love we barely contained it.Oh so sure,it escaped from our eyes in loads of tears,sue us!
After the first month we realised you had RED hair under all that orange! Just like mommy! Our sweet little strawberry sunshine. Our little Lexie. Daddie's darling Elise.
Mommy calls you sunshine because you were born Just before 6 am.It had been raining all night long,and just as you came into this world and took your first cry, the sun came out. There was the most majestic rainbow i have ever seen out the window directly behind the doctor when he held you up for me to see for the first time. Every time i see a rainbow for the rest of my life i will think of you my beloved angel of a child. Daddy added strawberry because your hair looks like a soft ripe strawberry you just want to touch because it is so perfectly colored.
You are my Joy,My laughter,and the most opinionated little girl i have ever met ! Amost as stubborn as me too!You are almost as big a tomboy as any little girl can be. I am so blessed that God chose to lend you to me on this earth,and also so beguiled by your every new discovery. Your eyes sparkle with so much love when you call me mommy i want to forever hold you tight and never let you go.
Thank God for your every breath. Happy Birthday my sweet strawberry sunshine ! Mommy loves You !