#1 is a TEEN!!!

So.  The day is finally here.  She's a teen.  And Big Guy and I are officially parents of a teenager!  Let's take a walk down memorylane.... 13 years ago.  4 in the morning.  I wake up from a strong contraction, and go to the bathroom.  At the time we were sharing a house with Big Guys brother and wife, so when my sister-in-law hears that I'm up, she comes to see what's going on.  I'm hugging the doorppost of the bathroom as an other contraction comes over me.  She tells me that this is probably IT!  (I had LOTS of false labours with my 1st one, but this was different)  I figured I go back to bed and try to catch some more rest... Well.  The contractions kept on coming, close and strong, so within some hour, we figured we better go to the hospital to have a look.  It was cold and gray and a misty fog outside.  Driving down the main road going to the hospital, side by side with tons and tons of semitrucks (this is one of the busiest farethroughs in the world!), and the drowsy morning commuters... It felt like everyone could tell by looking at our car that I was in labour! 

Fast forward.... After a long and intense labour, that including most of the tricks in the book, our 1st girl was born, face up and weighing close to 9 lbs. (4 kg)  I was crying of happiness, not realizing that I had been very close to having a c-section.  Fortunately it all went well, and 40 hours later we headed home.  I begged to stay another night, since Big Guy had to work that evening (he was going to University and worked part time on the line for Chrysler, meaning you did not turn any work opportunity down!).  My in-laws were in Minnesota, as well as Big Guys brother and family.  So with a baby, just 2 days old, I was left alone, in utter cluelessness!!, to care for her...  If I remember right I just might have shed a tear that evening.  I was wondering how the hospital staff could just trust people to bring home these helpless little babies...  I guess there's the 9 months to prepare for the baby's arrival.  But nothing prepares you for what it's really like!  I was very sore after the long labour, and very bloated from all the IV, and was 100% sure that I could never do this again!

Well... After the 1st few sleepless weeks (baby cried a lot, nursing did not work, I got every piece of advice ever known. Yes they meant well)  We figured out that she reacted strongly to dairy!  I did not have energy left to exlude all dairy in my diet, I was already thinner than before I got pregnant!, so we put her on Soy formula.  Baby was happier, mom was relieved and happier...
This little girl had an agenda of her own.  I tried to wrap her up and cuddle my little bundle... but she had no part of it.  She'd push her way out of the blanket to look around.  At 2 months she was rolling on the floor, at 4 months she scooted and pulled things off of shelves, and at 6 months she started walking along furniture.
Wow.  At church she'd take off under the bench and crawl speedy fast several rows away, and people would pass her back to us.... she was 5 months old!!! 
How did people do this???  With your 1st baby anything it does becomes the "norm".  You use it as the normal pace of things to happen... Of course this lady did most things to the extreme, and I was worried green about having anymore kids.  I have learned, with great relief, that she was not the norm...  She was over and beyond in most aspects.  Of course being a 1st time parent magnified the experience.

And now, here we are.  Last year she told me she turned Twelveteen.  I guess so I could adjust to the idea of her becoming a teenager.  That year sure went fast!  Really, I'm not really worried about the whole "teen thing".  We just keep chugging along with our ups and downs.  I know we'll have our days when we pull our hair out.  Just as we have our days laughing, joking and having fun.  Just as we will cry and forgive and forget.  That's life.  I'm sending a virtual hug to my Big Girl, wishing her a beautiful, wonderful Birthday.  Thanking her for being such an awesome, fun, imaginative, intense, smart, nerdy, corny, loving, bossy, intelligent, beautiful, and last but not least HELPFUL daughter and friend.  I love you to Jupiter and back, and I'm "ploud" to be your mom!