Happy Birthday to my Sweet McKenna!

March 30, 1992...
Fifteen years ago today, but seems like yesterday.
So nervous, so scared,
I'd never had a baby before,
never been a Momma before.
Could I do it? Could I do it well?
The pain, the fear, the everything
melted all away when I saw that beautiful little girl.
So big (almost 9 pounds), no hair, and a personality from the get-go.
But, what a joy! What a delight! What a surprise!
And then, as the years went by, this little baby changed
Into a precocious toddler (I see her in Scout today),
A sweet and sassy little preschooler,
A smart child,
An evolving pre-teen,
And now a teenager--yes, a teenager through and through.

With her moods and her makeup, she reminds me of what it's like to be young,
to always feel like you're the one who's right,
the one who's most important.
And with her principles and her faith, she reminds me of what and who I need to be,
to be a shining light,
to be a woman for the world.
And with her hugs and her laughter and yes, even her to-do lists and calendars,
she reminds me of what it's like to have the world in front of you,
to experience everything with joy,
have big plans and big dreams,
to know that you can conquer it all.

Happy Birthday McKenna Cathrynn!
It's hard to believe that you're 15 today . . .
that it wasn't just yesterday that I held you, pink and newborn, in my arms...
that you are growing up so quickly...
that you are becoming a true You...
that you are driving today (yikes!)...
that you are Changing and Growing and Becoming.

Know that I Love You as I loved that little baby,
and I am oh so proud--the proudest it is possible to be--to call myself your Momma.