Essence of the Holiday

Ok, so the epitome of Christmas truly lies with those people who make you feel special and loved, and I have to say that I am so amazingly fortunate to have THE Greatest Friend EVER! My best friend, Kim, totally surprised me yesterday by sending me not one, but two different loaves of Stollen for Christmas. This German frosted fruit bread has been my family's traditional Christmas morning breakfast for my whole life, (specifically from Zehnder's in Frankenmuth, MI) so the fact that she not only remembered this obscure little fact about my life, she (who lives in Ohio) made the effort to have the loaves shipped to me in Wisconsin! It was truly one of the coolest things anyone has ever done. I've been like a little kid, bouncing around all giddy since opening the box. Kim...you Rock!!

Today is my daughter's 13th birthday. I can hardly fathom that fact. As I sit here, 7 months pregnant, I can't help but remember everything about being pregnant with her. It wan't a difficult pregnancy, with the exception of the unbearable heartburn. (I'm convinced I, personally, funded the Tums corporation that year.) She was overdue, the doctor's put me through a week of cervical gels, 3 day of triple doses of pitocin, and still her stubbornness kept me from ever going into labour! At 1:30pm, 13 years ago today, she was delivered by a very easy and uncomplicated C-section. She had a full beautiful head of black hair (I could put it into a little ponytail it was so long) and perfect skin. She was so cute the nurses all wanted to keep her with them (which was a blessing when I needed to get some sleep). That first day she could already raise her head up.

Her stubborness hasn't changed, nor has her ability to learn & charm. She now stands several inches taller than me, has a new cute, sassy haircut, and all the teenage attitude. But she's also still very loving, cuddles up on the couch whenever she can, is an avid reader, loves to perform, and still makes me laugh. She may drive me crazy at times, like any kid her age, but my love for her has only continued to grow. My birthday wish for her is to feel confident in her own skin, to know she is truly loved, and that she'll always work hard for her own successes. I can't believe my little girl is now a teenager. Time truly does fly by faster than we can appreciate it.