My New Year's Day gift 12 years ago! I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a cold, rainy New Year's Eve and I was big pregnant and trying to celebrate my seven year old little boy's birthday. I went to the midwife and then headed to Brusters to buy an ice cream cake (feeling like a failure for not making one! ;o) I was contracting pretty much that whole day but was determined that I would celebrate Matthew's birthday before I went to the hospital. I think my midwife thought I was crazy for heading home. (We were living in the Atlanta area at the time and the hospital was a good 45 minutes from us!) We got through our family party, and I even bathed Madeline (my "baby" at the time) and tearfully tucked her into bed. (It is always sad to me to see the little one booted out of the "baby" spot.) My mom was there to watch my children and at about 9:00 that evening Marc and I headed to the hospital. By the time I got there I was hurting pretty bad and the contractions were coming very close together. Mariah's birth was one of my most peaceful births. While no natural childbirth is easy, it was one of my best births.
All of my deliveries before Mariah (and the three after) have always had others attend the birth. I have never minded, but there was something sweet and peaceful about this new little life entering the world in the middle of the night with just Marc and I (and our midwife) there. Mariah is my only baby that was born with no "glitches" at all. We have had transitioning issues with several of our babies and other minor things. Mariah was born, they left our room and we just enjoyed our baby. It was a very peaceful birth. (And she was the first baby born at that hospital for the year 2003! She even made the paper! :o)
Mariah has brought much joy to our family! She has always been a funny little girl. She says funny things, but does NOT want to be funny. You would think with her personality that she would like to go and "do" things, but she is my biggest homebody! This year for her birthday I asked her what she would like to do. I even suggested that we load up and go ice skating. She told me she wanted to stay home. When I asked her what she wanted to do, her response was, "Just hang out." Contentment is one of her strong character qualities. When she was younger she would try to give all of her stuff away. She was always throwing stuff from her room out because she "didn't need it." I have the hardest time shopping for her for Christmas and her birthday because she never asks for anything. I hope she is always that content!
One of the things she wanted to do on her birthday was go shooting. Marc took her back in the woods to let her shoot.
She loves horses just as much as McKenzie did. She spent her afternoon (until dark and she had to get off!) riding her horse "Candy".
The crown she is wearing in the above picture was given to her when she was born. She has had her picture taken every year since!
This sums up her personality!
My middle three!
The only thing she asked for was skirts. She also got a purse, tea pot and a camo hat. Quite the mix, huh!? :o)
She requested tater tot casserole and a chocolate sheet cake. My birthday kids were pretty easy on me this year!
Matt ate dinner with us before he had to head to work, but he missed the cake and present time. When he got home he gave her a gift and then he had more than his share of cake and ice cream! :o)
My prayer for Mariah is that she would continue to grow and mature as a Christian. I pray that she will always seek after the Lord's ways even when it is tough. I pray that she will always be willing to stand alone and do what is good and right. I pray that she will always be content to live simply and enjoy the everyday things in life. I pray that the Lord will bless her and keep her all the days of her life.
"For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess." Deuteronomy 30:16
I love you "Lou"!
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