Fourteen

Fourteen years ago today, Mike and I had just survived our first night as parents.  We were scared for a number of reasons.  First, what in the world were we supposed to do with this little girl...

Second, we were dealing with a sick newborn hooked up to all kinds of monitors and living her first 6 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  Our little sweetness had some mysterious infection and was very jaundice.  She had a little IV line in her arm and we had to visit her in the NICU.  After a spinal tap to rule out meningitis and lots of blood draws, we still never knew what was making her blood counts so high.  The doctor so wanted to get us home by Christmas, but little one needed the IV antibiotics.  So, we spent our first Christmas as a family of three in the hospital.  Needless to say, getting our sweet girl well was all the Christmas we wanted that year.

Fast forward fourteen years and we have a healthy and beautiful young lady...

who loves her little brother and sister...

Yesterday afternoon, she opened her gifts from me and her dad and one from Bentley and JennaBeth.  Mike and I gave her an Artist Loft set...

Her brother and sister gave her a couple of sketch pads...

Cecily wanted to eat at Olive Garden, so we took her there for dinner.

Don't worry...that is a Strawberry Mango Lemonata (non-alcoholic) she is drinking!  Instead of birthday cake, she wanted to go to Menchies for yogurt.  When her little siblings began to act, well like little brothers and sisters act, she informs me, "You see!  This is why you go to yogurt places with cool people and not your family!"  Yep...she's a teenager!

Teenager or not...I love this girl so much!!!  So in honor of her fourteenth birthday, here is a list of fourteen things I love about my girl...

1. She loves Jesus and is growing in her faith.
2. She is beautiful.
3. She is very talented in sketching, painting and the arts in general.
4. She is a very big help with her little brother and sister.
5. She is compassionate and tenderhearted to those less fortunate.
6. She is well grounded and mature.
7. She already has some good ideas about what she wants to do with her life.
8. She is a loyal friend.
9. She is ready and willing and serves in her church.
10. She has always wanted to give to others.  (I remember one time when she was in 1st grade and had gone to Wal-Mart with me.  She had $20 of her own money and it was around Christmas time.  As we were leaving the store, she put the whole $20 in the Salvation Army bucket.  When I asked if she was sure she wanted to do that, she said, 'Yea.  Those people need it more than I do right now.'")
11. She is very intelligent and thinks deeply at times.
12. She is very good with money and always shops wisely and gets the most out of her money.
13. She is creative.
14. She puts up with me!

I love you Cecily and am so thankful and proud that I get to be your mother!

Blessings,
Jennifer