IT HAS HAPPENED

This morning I woke up feeling a little odd. I shook the sleep off, gently placed my feet on the floor and into my cushy slippers and shuffled off to the bathroom in that half-sleep state. When there, the mirror caught my reflection, and through eyes that would only partially open in the sudden light, my self became visible. The clock on the sink said it was 6:45, the date July 23, 2009, and then it hit me. My baby was 1-3/4 hours away from turning 25 years old.

I sat down on the edge of the tub and thought about that for a bit. It seems like only yesterday that I was laying in a hospital bed being stuck and prodded and probed and prepped to go to the operating room for the c-section I knew I had to endure to get my precious daughter. I remember the feeling of the spinal anesthetic, the encouragement of the nurses as my breathing became compromised due to the anesthetic getting too high and in essence "numbing" my lungs. The nurse said, "Breathe in, breathe out" over and over and over, because otherwise, they were going to have to intubate me, and she coached me long enough for me to see my beautiful little girl and hear her cry.

I remember the feeling of the hot tears rolling down my cheeks as they brought her little face to my lips so I could give her a mommy's welcome to life kiss.

And the next thing I remember is holding her in my arms in my room, marveling at her face, her fingers, her toes, and thanking God for her over and over.

We have had ups and downs and in-betweens, but she is my daughter 25 years later, and I love her.

Happy birthday to my baby.