Today, my baby turns 7. How time has flown, I still remember like it was yesterday holding her for the first time. I looked into her eyes and fell in love with this tiny person.
It's true that S's siblings didn't seem fazed by her arrival (I recall Julia hiding under the chair in my hospital room). I took out the pictures of our time in the hospital and was struck by how happy Will and I looked. With Em, we were stressed, with Andrew we were utterly exhausted after the delivery. With Julia, we were happy but also very tired (those darned inductions...). With Sarah, we looked happy, well-rested (I was still glassy-eyed from the drugs), and content with this new little person. That night, when my family had gone, my friend Kim came. I was intent upon recovering quickly and knew the best way to start on that track was to get up and walking. Walking down the corridor of the postpartum unit felt like the longest walk ever, but I did it. We had a nice visit. A good way to celebrate the day Sarah came into this world all around.
The many hours feeding her, just the two of us together as the months passed, were so special. She was an easy baby, which was good because it was a difficult time with Andrew just being diagnosed with autism. I would get her up every morning and sing her a silly little song, which always made her giggle and smile.
Sarah is a beautiful little girl who has the most energetic and fun personality. True to form, as the baby of our family, she fights for everything and doesn't want to be left out. She and Emily, though neither will easily admit it, share a very special friendship, too.
Happy Birthday, my "baby" girl. Thank you for coming into our lives and bringing so much joy and laughter to it. I love you very much.
