Why I Love My Girls

I know that Bud would love to have a boy around the house once in awhile to balance all of the estrogen (I don’t think Max counts!) but I love having my girls. Each one of them is so different and each one of them brings joy to us in different ways

Abigail was our first. Who imagined that a tiny baby could invoke such feelings of love and devotion? She has always been so grown up though. At 4 months, the daycare center workers would laugh because she was already trying to sit up. At a year old, her sitter remarked that Abby wasn’t anyone’s baby. She was fierce and determined. One of her very first sentences was “I dood it” (I do it). She didn’t need or want our help. After she turned 16 months old I remember thinking that she wasn’t a baby anymore and she wasn't. She is passionate. She embraces life and feels everything to its fullest, if she is happy you know it, if she is sad you know it, if she is angry you know it. She loves wholeheartedly and she understands what family means and would do anything for her sisters. She isn’t always the easiest of the girls to handle and many times I worry that even those closest to her are missing out on what an incredible child she is because her personality is so strong. She is the one who I know will transition into her teen years and adulthood with a strong sense of self and who she is. She isn’t limited by how others see her and most of the time she doesn’t care and I love that about her. She is a leader, not a follower. She is happiest when she is busiest. Reading club, math club, Girl Scouts, cheerleading, gifted classes. She balances it all well. How proud I am of this girl of mine.

Madeline was our second. She is a Mama’s girl.While she loves others, her Mama comes first and who wouldn’t love that? She is also the baby of the family and unlike Abby she has been quite content to stay in that role. Her motto is more, "Why do it if you can get someone older to do it for you." She was such a laid-back baby. Always smiling and just as content to be on your lap being cuddled than on the floor playing. We saw the first hint of her temper at about 10 months old. She was unhappy about something and Abby and I sat on the couch in our family room and watched her crawl around and around screaming for 45 minutes until she was completely spent, unhappy about something that neither I nor Abby could comprehend. She loves candy more than anything and one of her first sentences was actually a question “Candy, Mama?” which she would say without fail each morning when I went in to lift her out of her crib. Our girl is athletic. She could dribble a ball across the room with both her feet when she was a year old. She has wanted to play soccer since she knew what soccer was and from the first time she stepped onto a field it was like pure magic for her. She counts the days between seasons and watching her brings true joy to Bud and I. She loves being "the baby" but hates being the "little sister". I think that is why she is known for being such a helper and little mother with her babysitter and in her school classes. Shy and reserved until you get to know her she has a wicked sense of humor and frequently makes us laugh.


Finally, there is Destiny. Five years ago this tiny, skinny eight year old walked into our lives and forever changed us. She has overcome more difficulties in her short life than most people will face in a lifetime and yet her smile is still there. I doubt that few know what it is like to come into a family and try to find your place among people that don't look like you or share the same background and history. That she has been able to do so is nothing short of miraculous and sometimes I think it is easy for us to forget that. She is truly beautiful with her brown bouncing curls and her big brown eyes. As the years pass, more and more of her personality comes out and I get to see more of the "real" her, funny, sweet, and with a tendency to think one thing but have it come out totally different when she says it. She loves art and color and design and is happiest when she is working on a project that involves all of those things. I think she enjoyed her time as one of the little girls but now she is blossoming as a middle schooler. You can see the excitement on her face each day as she decribes the new experinces and friends she is making. She has a kind heart and is empathetic (unless it involves Abby or Maddie :). I know that I will never leave the house or say goodnight without a hug and a kiss and an "I love you" from her. Huge Georgia fan in a household of Tech lovers, she stands firm in her love of the red and the black. Sometimes you have to look back to see just how far you have come. I can't wait to see what the next few years bring.

I love these girls so much!!!