A Very Special Birthday

Today is Rabbit’s 10^th birthday.  She is my oldest child and only daughter, which means that ten years ago today I became a mother for the first time.  This year marks our daughter’s entrance into the double digits and it is also her golden birthday.  It’s a big year!

Ten years ago, after a VERY long labor, ending in a C-section anyway, our daughter was born.  Even when she was just a newborn, everyone remarked on how alert she was.  She seemed to always have her eyes open and be gazing around the room.  We knew she was curious.

Within the first couple months, we noticed that she was not content to sit and cuddle, instead preferring to always be held upright and facing outward so she wouldn’t miss a thing.  She enjoyed playing on the floor and didn’t mind entertaining herself.  We knew she was independent.

She crawled before she was seven months old.  She said her first word at nine months and was putting together sentences just a few months later.  I remember at her 18-month check-up with the doctor, we mentioned that Rabbit knew her colors.  The doctor didn’t believe that, and so she pulled out some crayons and asked Rabbit to tell her the colors, which she did perfectly.  She knew all her letters before age three and began reading at age four, without anyone teaching her.  Again and again, she displayed the ability to absorb knowledge without being taught, and demonstrated her near-perfect memory.  We knew she was smart.

At age three and again at ages six and nine, Rabbit became a big sister to three little brothers.  It was quickly obvious that she loved babies and toddlers and was a great little “mother” to them.  She would spend her time playing with and teaching them.  We knew she was kind and caring.

At age eight, Rabbit was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.  Suddenly, she was in the position of having to monitor everything she ate, prick her finger many times a day to check her blood sugar, and deal with needles and injections.  Within a year, she had mastered the day-to-day management of her diabetes and managed it mostly by herself.  We knew she was strong.

Rabbit, you are an amazing person!  We love you and are so proud of you!  Happy Birthday!