Yesterday, December the 8th was a very special day for me. Twenty-nine years ago on that day @ 12:04pm, after 24 hours of labor, I became a mom. When they laid that precious little baby girl in my arms, Norman said a complete peace came over my face. She was beautiful!!!
However, there was one problem. She did not come with an instruction manual!!! We had taken Lamaze Classes for weeks and learned the latest and greatest way to get her into this world easily with the use of certain breathing techniques(Yeah right!!!!) but they forgot to tell us what to do with her after she got here. Thank goodness my mom was there with us for two weeks afterwards or she might not have survived. I was going to be the perfect mom and use those soft cloth diapers, make all her baby food and never give her sugary sweets!!!!! Boy, did I have a lot to learn!! The day my mom left to go home I folder diapers for an hour and then promptly sent Norman to the store for a large box of disposal diapers. I boiled her pacifier to the bottom of the pan. And one night when she cried and cried and cried I began to cry right along with her wondering what on earth to do!!!! I had no idea. She was the guinea pig!!!!! The first to cut a tooth, the first to say, "Momma", the first to walk and talk, the first to start to school, the first to become a teenager, the first to drive, the first to have a date, the first to graduate from high school, the first to get married. And despite all my many, many shortcomings she survived all that and has now become a wonderful wife and mother. She has always been very self-motivated. Whenever she made up her mind to do something she did it!!!! She graduated Valedictorian of her class and received numerous scholarships to college. (I think they actually paid her to go). She took 21 hours the semester before her wedding and almost made all A's. She has been on two trips to Ukraine and has found time in her schedule to keep in touch with many of the young people there helping to make a difference in their lives. She is a good big sister to all of her siblings and even manages to keep me focused when I get side-tracked. She is very thoughtful, always wanting to do for others. She will graduate from college in May after much hard work and determination. She is not only my precious first born but my friend. I love her very much. Thank you, Sara for blessing my life in so many, many ways.