Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

My girl Hannie B came into the world the morning after Halloween. I was induced and therefore forbidden from gorging my pregnant body on Big C’s Trick-or-Treat winnings the night before. Boo! I love this black and white picture of Hannah taken when she was almost two months old by my brother for her birth announcements. She’s staring right into my soul.

We did not find out the sex of the baby for our first two pregnancies. I was pretty sure it would be another boy. We were all surprised when it was A GIRL! Especially Big C. Here he is just moments after meeting his baby sister for the first time:

I am torn to pieces when I look at that picture. My kids were so little. Now they are so BIG. Time has passed much too quickly for me to comprehend. I feel a panic attack coming on. Also, look how many adult hands are in the picture to make sure everybody (Big C) behaves. Hilarious!

Oh Hannie B! You were such a rascal baby. This next picture is a favorite of mine because of the story behind it. I took her to the mall to get her pictures taken because that’s what we did fourteen years ago before everyone had a nice camera of their own and thought they were a photographer (ahem, I’m talking about me). She cried for the better part of an hour and would not cooperate for the pictures. The twenty year old working at “Kiddie Kandids” offered up the bathroom so I could nurse my frantic child.

A little snack and Hannie B was out for good. Then this shot was captured, making my little demon daughter look like an angel. Ha!

Fourteen years later, I’ve still got a feisty girl on my hands. But she is also kind, helpful, thoughtful, creative, spiritual, nuturing, and hilariously funny.

She is loud and spunky with a side of dramatic flair and we couldn’t be happier to call her daughter, sister and friend.

I can’t believe she is FOURTEEN. I feel old and really, really proud to be her mom.

Here she is at a fashion show the teenage girls had at our church recently. She worked the runway in her modest and still fashionable clothes! I love you Hannah. Thank you for making me a better momma. You are the best!