And she's mine...

December 20, 1996.

2:28 pm

This is the exact moment my life achieved awesome status. After 17 hours of hard labor, Alison Haley made her debut, bright eyed and ready to take on the world. She was the most beautiful butterball I had ever seen. And she was mine. Well, technically she was Ben's too, but you know where I'm headed with this. She tipped the scales at a whopping ten pounds and made those other babies in the nursery look like wusses. And she was mine. I remember them handing her to me that first time. We stared at each other for a bit, sizing one another up. I'm sure she was thinking "who is this puffy faced, crazy haired creature?". At that same time, I was thinking "all that I've done wrong in my life and God still trusted me with this perfect person". It was then that I buried my face in her belly and cried like a baby. She was beautiful and perfect. And she was mine.

That baby turned into a toddler, full of wander and curiousity. She had to touch EVERYTHING. She loved to eat and always had a nook in her mouth, and a spare in her hand. She smiled all of the time. She had the cutest little dimple when she smiled. And she was mine.

That toddler turned into a percocious tiny adult. Always asking "why?". She loved to have her picture taken. Loved to wear hats. Loved to hold my hand. Loved to be with her trusty companion, Lexie. She loved life. And she was mine.

That tiny adult turned into grade schooler who took on anything that came her way. She gave 100% to whatever was thrown at her; homework, sports, debating teachers. She stood her ground and learned to love to protect the underdog. She became a nurturer. And she was mine.

Today, that wonderful creature has turned into the most amazing young woman. She amazes me everyday. Her love of knowledge, even though foreign to me, is awe inspiring. She is whip-smart and can carry on a conversation about anything. She still supports the underdog. She can't stand injustice. She has a wicked sense of humor. She's hysterical and makes me laugh more than anyone I've ever known. She's beautiful, inside and out. And she's mine.

December 20, 2014 

12:00 am

This is the exact moment that tiny baby, MY TINY BABY, became an adult. I can't believe that we are already at this point. It still feels like yesterday that they were handing her to me for the first time, and now, I'm about to hand her off to the world. (By the way, world, you better put your seat belt on!). She is amazing. She is kind. She is beautiful. She is funny. She is a lover of animals. She's headstrong. She's independent. She's fierce. And she is mine.

Happy birthday, my baby. You complete me.