National Daughter's Day

So it has come to my attention that a day exists called National Daughter's Day.  No one is really sure when it is, but we were all sure to post pictures of our beautiful girls, just in case.  You know, we used to complain about Hallmark Holidays like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, but now, thanks to social media, we pretty much have a special day at least once a week!

But with the influx of pictures of beautiful daughters, it made me think how thankful I am for my baby girl, who isn't such a baby anymore.  She was my rainbow baby, before I knew such a word existed.  I called her my waited for-prayed for baby, but rainbow baby makes perfect sense (baby after a storm).  Following a miscarriage and over a year of trying again, she was everything I had prayed for wrapped into a tiny burrito blanket!  At seven pounds, ten ounces, she entered this world showing her true personality-- on her own timetable and causing much drama, but fulfilling all of my hopes and dreams at the same time!

She has had her Daddy wrapped around her finger since Minute One, and she likes to tell people this is because he was the first person in our family to get to meet her and hold her.  I'm not sure if this is why (although it is true), but she is definitely a Daddy's Girl.  When she was a baby, I called her lots of s adjectives- Sweet Sydney Sunshine- etc., but you can pretty much sum her up in s's: super smart, super sweet, super sensitive, and super sassy--- which basically equals complicated bliss!  The one thing that has been apparent to me from very early on is how compassionate and caring she is.  I remember telling my mom during one of her trying Terrible (2? 3?) years: "You can fix behavior, but you can't make someone caring!" and I still believe that with my whole heart.  When we pulled her out of public school last year, I told people "She was doing fine-- they just didn't care about her heart."  At the end of the year, Trinity awards character awards (Most Likely to Be a Preacher, Most Huggable, etc.) and Sydney was given "Heart of Gold."  I had to hold back tears, because it confirmed to me what I already knew and that was that she was exactly where she should be--- not only did they care what she learned and how she behaved, but they cared about her heart!

Some days, I think we should go ahead and start her preemptively in therapy now to prepare for her teenage years.  To say that I dread them with a passion would be an understatement!  All of that sensitivity and sassiness bottled up into a hormonal teenager is not something I look forward to.  However, I pray that she will continue to care much about other people, and not fall into the trap of thinking that this world is all about her.  And as much  as I dread some of the teenage meltdowns and conversations that are sure to happen, I am so excited to see what this beautiful first-grader will become.  Right now, she dreams of being a veterinarian that lives on a farm.  I am so excited to watch her dreams unfold and pray that God will use me to lead her into a loving relationship with Him and a purposeful life set forth by Him!

Happy National Daughter's Day, Sydney.  Whatever Day that may be!  :)

Crazy since the beginning, I tell you!

She's right!  He got to hold her first!