Making Art Again: Sweet September: 5 Years Later

Five years ago on October 1st I wrote a post about how that particular September had changed me. It was just a few lines, but it has always stuck out in my mind as a memorable post.

September is an important month for me. It is the month that made me a mother for the first time. On September 15, 2008 around 2:00 pm my midwife laid a baby girl on my chest. I can remember how warm she felt in my arms and I remember how loud she yelled. In that moment I think I caught a little glimpse of who she would be. My Little, my freedom flower, our precious girl Liberty Rose. Who knew her name would fit her so well.

Sugar and spice, and oh so much more. A temper tamed now that she's turned the five year old corner, eyes that glimmer with ideas and imagination, and a delicate heart that needs you to truly see her.

In the five years that she has been mine, here is what I have learned.

Nipping it in the bud, is better than a thousand warnings

Speaking softly is always better than speaking loudly

Apologizing is essential to restoring my relationship with my children when I am wrong

Follow an apology with a gigantic hug and tell them how much I love them

Playing with my children is always better than cleaning my house

Taking them to magical childhood places awakens the little girl in me and

Loving them is easy even though it hurts sometimes.

Normally, as September approaches, I am busy mailing invitations, making decorations and planning for her birthday party, which seemed to get bigger every year. This year was different though. I didn't plan anything because I was sure our new baby would be here and we would still be settling into our new family routine.

I did plan to decorate the dinning room for her with hot pink and leopard everything (sister is a little obsessed with leopards). I bought balloons and tulle. I bought cupcake liners to make cupcakes for her class. I laid everything out on the dinning room table to get started and then I went into labor. I wasn't even there to see her wake up on her fifth birthday.

Babette came through for her though, as she always does. She decorated the dinning room, she wrapped the presents, and she brought my girl to hospital first thing so that we could all celebrate together. Babs made a cake and the girls littered it with rainbow sprinkles. We stuck a giant number 5 candle in the middle of it and I choked back happy tears as we all sang Happy Birthday to my darling girl and my newest babe.

The best part was when we brought the baby home our birthday girl declared that Cooper was the best present that she ever got.

Their bond is strong, one that I couldn't make up if I wanted to. She whispers to him everyday, and he stares at her face. I've said it several times on this blog, but she always knew it was him...like God gave her a special intuition about her baby brother that he didn't give me because he knew they would be joined by September 15th.

Five years later and she is still amazing to me. She is beauty, she is frustration, she is fun, she is inquisitive, she is love.
I'm so thankful for this life.