Six years and 2 days ago I was lying in a hospital bed staring at the TV waiting for the smoke at the Vatican to change…oh, and for the stupid Pitocin to make a lick of difference in my labor.  I was 38 weeks, but as Riley had stopped growing at 34 weeks, the doctor thought we should get the IUGR baby out and kicking.  At 5PM it really started to hurt.  By 7:30PM my little princess Riley pushed herself out without making me work a bit for it.

Five years ago at this very minute I was walking with Riley and Brandon to Dairy Queen.  At 36 weeks pregnant I was trying to kick start labor.  Ordinarily I wouldn’t at that early, but Angel had tried to come almost a week before and the doctor had made her stop…and once I was 36 weeks I was given the all-clear. My body was tired. Bed rest was getting really old…so we took a walk. 2 miles there, 2 miles back.  By 4PM labor finally kicked in, at 11:33PM Angel joined us.

I didn’t know the crazy, curvy hectic road ahead of us.

I thought I’d never sleep through the night again.

I wanted to hold my tiny little baby girls forever.

I blinked, though.

In that blink they turned into little girls.

Smart, beautiful, happy, crazy, obnoxious, witty, loving little girls that fill our lives with laughter and chaos and so much love.

In the fall Angel starts Kindergarten and Riley will move onto first grade.

I’m afraid to blink again.

I want to sit and stare until my eyes go dry.  Capture every moment and lock it up tight.

Happy birthday to both of my little girls.

Stop growing up now.

Please?