Happy Birthday to Charlotte!

On this day.. thirteen years ago..

- I was wishing I could sleep and the company in the hospital would go away.
- I was completely icked by the disgusting poo coming out of that tiny 5lb 13oz baby.
- I was determined to breastfeed, although the hospital was none-too-encouraging. (Babies were not permitted to room in, a private room was a joke, and I was advised to not hold her "too much".)
- I had no idea what the next thirteen years would bring.. I was still a teenager (19) myself.

I did know that I loved that precious little cone-headed baby more than anything I'd ever loved .. and no matter what others told me about the 'right' way to do things, she was MY child and I'd do as I pleased.. thankyouverymuch. :) I read the books though folks mocked me. I set out goals for what I wanted for her, though others doubted. I talked about homeschooling and was told I was nuts.

And now, pardon me for a moment as I point out a few things that have been on my mind lately..

To all of those gloom & doom folks who told me to just wait til she hit 3.. that's when they get mouthy.. til she hits 5 and is completely defiant.. til she hits 8 and those hormones kick in.. til she starts her cycle and decides we will no longer get along.. til thirteen comes and rebellion really kicks in.

I say... "Ha." (Mature, eh?)

We often called Charli our "Miss Sunshine" and she still fits that. Yes, she's got a wit and yes, we sometimes hit a wall where we don't see each other's side. But, you know what? A few minutes later we can talk it over and go on like nothing happened.

Today is her thirteenth birthday. Many would be pushing for this to be THEIR day and to be catered to completely. We woke up to.. 1 fevered boy, 1 boy getting over his fever, 1 boy that was pukey all night, 1 little girl with a fever/cough, and another girl that gave up and went back to bed asap. Daddy is sleeping (he was up all night with pukey boy) and I have an awful sore throat. Charli is the only healthy one. She's been helpful and trading off with me as we snuggle whoever needs it. We finally got everyone settled and she's off writing some more on her book.

Last night, we went shopping for her opal birthstone ring. We visited three stores and then she said she felt a little guilty for being picky. I assured her that this is her ring, she can be as picky as she wants. We didn't find anything in the local stores, so we've been browsing ebay. It's SO fun to see her opinion of jewelry and what appeals to her. She's firm, but polite.

I'm equally in love with this beautiful long-haired zesty teen as I was with the wrapped up little baby. And, I still have a sweet little baby (well, 17 months) so I can appreciate the differences. It's fun to go the bookstore and talk about authors, or visit the coffee shop and have a real conversation. I do realize as she grows older, and more into her independence, we'll hit some other trying times.. but I reject the notion that all young adults have to be surly, grouchy, awful beings that we just put up with til they're 18 and we can toss them out.

And, I am very thankful that we did decide to homeschool. It has been an unhurried childhood and a -good- one. She is very grounded in her faith and has been a witness to many. She's also able to think outside of the box.. and still handles the peers okay. This year, for the first time that she's noticed, a girl in our community decided to not be friends with her because of the way she dresses. Charli shrugged it off, mentioned that's just her personality, and said she can either please God or please man... she didn't get angry, depressed, or run out to change herself. What a blessing. We started out homeschooling for academic reasons, but I realize that *character* is the main thing, not academics.

Her party will be on the 18th and I'll be sure to share lots of pictures! Pictures from today might just be depressing with all of the runny noses and watery eyes.

Charli's birth vs. Naomi's birth. (1995 vs. 2007):

- With Charli's birth, I made my mom *promise* to not tell the doctors I had eaten that day. It was routine procedure to be given an enema and I didn't want that! With Naomi's birth, I was encouraged to eat during labor to keep up my energy.

- After Charli's birth, I saw her for a few minutes before she was whisked away to be cleaned up/etc and I was sent to a recovery room with a bunch of other ladies. With Naomi's birth, she slept through it and the snuggled onto my chest to sleep some more. Five minutes later, we decided to check gender and to wake her up a little.

- With C's birth, I was disappointed that I missed the epidural screening.. was given nubain and puked my way through a lot of labor. (When I wasn't drugged/sleeping). With N's birth, I wouldn't have considered meds and had a relatively pain free labor.

- The night of C's birth, I had a roommate come in and she had many issues due to a high-intervention birth. I was up most of the night listening to her company come in/out, the medical procedures they did on her, and her crying. Charli wasn't with me, that wasn't permitted. The night of N's birth, I slept in my bed, with baby tucked in next to me.

- With C's birth I saw my OB three times - once when she warned me that at 37 wks the baby might have breathing issues, the second when she ordered nubain, the third when she was in the delivery room. With N's birth.. I took a leisurely walk with my midwife, doula, and husband throughout the neighborhood. We all visited with my friend (and her children) that was here to help and it felt like having a big sister nearby.

I am thankful that SO much has changed in the past thirteen years. I also hope to support my daughters (and daughters-in-law) in having positive birth experiences. It makes such a difference. I am thankful that Charli remembers Naomi's birth and not hers. :) Well, both girls.. they've seen that TV/movie births don't have to be reality. They also went to a few midwife appointments and had a good role model there.