Happy 8th Birthday to my daughter Caroline

Eight years ago my life changed forever. With the birth of my daughter I gained the title Mother. That day is a bit of a blur and considering what childbirth is, it is probably better that it is that way. I do remember waking up in the hospital at 3 am to hear another women deliver a baby boy into the world. Peter remembers that I had him read me the same maudlin story in the paper about six times about where the Rockefeller Tree had come from this year. I remember holding my daughter on my chest while Peter cut the cord. I remember that first night holding Caroline and just being amazed at how small she was and how perfect.

She had her birthday party yesterday at an indoor playground called Fun 4 All. Her cousins came along with some of her best friends and they had a blast. I had a very easy time of it because I didn’t have to do anything which was nice. I got to talk to friends and family and enjoy watching the kids run around to their hearts content.

This morning she awoke to her big gift of a dollhouse/castle sized for her Disney Princesses. She has been happily playing with it while wearing her new Unicorn PJs that her sister Gwen got her.

Today we are taking her to Friendly’s for lunch and maybe a movie. She is also going to visit with my parents to open the gifts they got her. Overall she is going to have a pretty spiffy day.

It just amazes me how much she has grown and matured in a year. Her grasp of math and spelling has grown in leaps and bounds. She is a voracious reader. But other things are the same. She is very loving. She draws all the time. She tells really complex stories while playing with her toys. There are parts of her personality that are her and will always be her while other parts change as she grows and experiences more things in her life.

So Happy Birthday to my baby girl. Mommy loves you very much.

I am grateful that Caroline is my daughter.