My baby is 5...I am getting old...

Ok, so she is not really the 'baby', but she is still one of my babies;-) Cutie Pie turns 5 today. I can't believe she is this old already. It means that I am getting older, as my dad pointed out today!!

She was my first homebirth (planned). She broke a lot of barriers for me. She was my 'healing' child (maybe not the right way to look at it, but that is the reality). I got pregnant with her just 3 months after our loss. The midwife, when I was at the end of the labour said that she could see it on my face, the relief, the tears, the excitement, the worry...she said I looked like a sea of emotion, but it was so good.

We had her name picked out from the beginning and I am going to share that now...(wow!). When we were in a church service, just after our loss, the minister was sharing on grace. He made the statement "Grace is...When you can't God can". That stuck with me and hence her name, Grace.

Now, with her coming after a loss, I think we parented differently. We allowed her to sleep in our bed, I carried her constantly, I wanted her with me all the time. There was no way I was going to lose her...if that makes sense? We lacked in the discipline area with her, and still do to this day. We are really working on it, she is testing us so much more lately. At the time, we were just so happy to finally have a child that in our 'minds' she could do nothing wrong (we just didn't look;)

She is such a joy to have in our house now. We can see her growing more mature and older everyday. She is the joker in the family and always tries to break the ice but also tries us the most. We can be in the middle of discussing an 'issue' with her and all of a sudden she smiles, or laughs in a funny way and we melt again...gotta work on that.

She is getting her ears pierced tonight (when our girls turn 5 they can get it done if they choose to) and she gets to pick the restaurant for dinner. We threw around some great ideas...Chinese, East Side Mario's, She picked Dairy Queen. I think because she wants an ice cream cake...hm. We got her one of those Littlest Pet Shop electronic toys and Mr. Hockey made a hat for her. Princess is giving Cutie Pie her old Tamagotchi and something else...I don't remember. And Pooky, well, she's too little...

Anyhow, she is precious and is going to grow up being a very strong women, no one is going to push her around and that I am thnakful for. We pray for her that she will make the right choices through life and will grow up to love God.

So, Gracie, 'real name :o' Happy Birthday.