Happy Birthday A!!!!

I think everyone remembers what they were doing on Sept. 11, 2001.  It is a day we will probably never forget.  After watching the news all morning, hearing and seeing terrible things, we went to a doctor's appointment, and learned that we were expecting a baby GIRL in just a few months.  Seeing that baby on the ultrasound screen gave us hope and determination.  We weren't sure what kind of world she was going to be born into, but we knew we were going to do our best to love and protect her!

Three months later, A was born after only 3 hours of (virtually painless) labor and delivery.  She weighed a whopping 9 lbs 5 oz!!  She came out screaming, and didn't stop!!  There was no doubt her lungs were great!!

We took this big 'ol baby home, thinking we were experienced parents.  After a few days we were frazzled, wondering what in the world we were doing!  She was fussy ALL the time!!  She wouldn't go to anyone but me!  And she had a 4-yr old big sister who had been so excited to have a baby sister...and she was sorely disappointed!!  We had several diagnoses...colic, reflux, milk allergy...but overall we just had one unhappy baby! 

As the months went on, we figured her out a bit more.  She loved structure and routine.  She thrived with a schedule.  She still only wanted Mommy most of the time, but she was happy when I was around.  She still stayed sick a lot, and we still didn't know why...

She LOVED her big sister!!  I had a hard time finding pictures of A alone...she always had T in the picture with her!!

She is our fashion diva!  She LOVES to dress up!  Most of the pictures I found of her, she was playing in "dress up" clothes, or in perfectly accessorized outfits!





OH, those curls!!  When they first started showing up, we were intrigued!  As her hair got curlier and curlier, they became a challenge!!  But I wouldn't change them...she's just not A without her curls!!

A was the baby of our family for almost 6 years!  But when baby R came along, she stepped up into her role as big sister in a BIG way!  She never showed any jealousy toward him, and just loved him from the first time she saw him! 

A has always been a "princess".  It started out with dress up clothes, a love of Disney princesses, and has evolved into a love of all things girly!!  (Much to the dismay of her "not so girly" big sister).

A tried several sports through the years, and enjoyed most of them.  But when she started cheer and dance, she found her true talent!!  She just glows when she puts that uniform on!!  She can learn a dance routine in no time!!  And she is willing to work hard to get it right!! She is great at it, and loves doing it!

She has been our little high-maintenace diva from day one!  Fast forward 10 years...and while she has changed a lot, she is still very much the same!!

She still loves structure and routine.  She wants to know what to expect in her life. 

She loves music, and reading, and dancing!!

She is NOT shy!  She can go in a room of strangers, and come out with a new friend in no time!  She willingly went into the little cafe here in our town ALONE and ordered pizza...in GERMAN!!

She loves keeping her things organized and neat.  (I LOVE this trait in her!)

She loves to go shopping!!  (I LOVE this trait, also!)

She is a perfectionist in pretty much everything she does.  If she is going to do something, she wants to be able to do it right.

She is very good with her little brother.  I think she will definitely be a Mommy someday...she has a love for kids that we see everyday in her interaction with little R.

Mommy is still probably number one on her "favorite people" list!

She is still a vegetarian.  Doctors told me repeatedly from about the age of 2 on that she would grow out of it...ummm...nope, never grew out of it! : )

She is all DRAMA!!  If she is happy, she is REALLY happy!  If she is sad, she is REALLY sad!  If she is mad, she is REALLY mad...and this one can happen in a flash!  It doesn't take much!!

All in all, she is a very special dynamic in our family!  There is definitely no one on earth just like our A!  We are so grateful to have her in our family, and we can't wait to see the impact she makes in this world!


For her birthday A wanted a cake from the German bakery, and she wanted to spend the day at Sensapolis.  When we went to pick up the cake we had ordered from the German bakery, they didn't have it! (STRIKE 1)  We went to the commissary and picked up a last minute cake, then drove over to Sensapolis.  It was WAY crowded, so we decided to leave and come back another time.  (STRIKE 2)  We decided we would go bowling on post...drove over there and they were closed for another hour (STRIKE 3).  We decided to wait the hour, and finally we were able to go bowling and have pizza.  Then we went home and had birthday cake.  A likes things to be planned...but she rolled with it this time, and we had a great time celebrating her birthday!

Looke at that form! : )

The "last minute" birthday cake!

A reading her certificate stating that she could order the American Girl doll of her dreams!  She was SO excited!!

We had a great time celebrating your birthday, A!!  We love you, and we love watching you take on this big 'ol world!  We can't wait to see what your future holds...pretty sure you have some amazing things in store!!