9 Years Ago

9 years ago today, I woke up at 7:03am to my first contraction. Exactly, 13 hours later, Bob stumbled as they told us it was a girl. Bob was so nervous about having a daughter. Fathering a daughter seemed to him an incredible task. I can tell you that he has more than risen to the challenge. There never was a bigger daddy's girl. And, this past year has seen their relationship grow to such a beautiful place. I will remember her 8th year as the year they paddled out to Mexico Rocks in Belize every day of our vacation together. How she begged him to teach her poker--he will proudly tell you that when she is in college he is assured that she will keep all of her clothes on when things turn...um...the way they turn in college. Mostly, this will be the year that she truly grew into herself.

Georgia has not always been an easy child. I wonder though if any child ever truly is...but, she started out as painfully shy and insecure. A perfectionist who turns completely frustrated when she cannot do something well right off the bat. As a toddler, we were often left at our wit's end with no where else to go. So, we would just hang there(some of our friends who have witnessed this hanging are laughing their butts off at us--it was never pretty let me tell you). But, slowly she grew out of these things. Slowly, she gained the confidence she needed to stand on her own two feet and this year she has emerged as an outgoing, confident, and fiercely determined little girl.

She started Acro this year and when she couldn't do a cartwheel, she came home and insisted we clear the living room for her to practice. Within the week, and after no less than 2,000 cartwheels in our living room, she had perfected them. She has grown into a go getter...she rises from bed ready to work and will not stop until we tear whatever project she is working on out of her hands well past her bedtime. Occasionally, we still see glimpses of that shy, insecure girl, but they are getting pretty few and far between. We could not be more proud of how far she has come and more excited to see where she will go...because she is headed there with gusto.

Happy Birthday my darling little one. I love you more than you can ever know(I promise you that's true). Some photographs taken today(moments ago) in the same spot as the one above only many years apart. Ripped leggings and all...the real G.

~ Dana