Six

Dear sweet, Sister,

Do you know what happened six years ago today? Six years ago this morning, at 3:54am, to be exact? God, in His providence and goodness, gave us you.

We had prayed for you for a long time. We'd carried the hope of a baby in our hearts for what felt like an eternity.

You should know the sweet story of your arrival. It was a grand event!

I'd spent all day on the 21st with a close friend. She agreed to drive me to my doctor's appointment so that when your daddy got off work and joined me, we'd be in one car, instead of two.

The only thing was that her husband, who your daddy carpooled with, had the same idea, and dropped your daddy off at the doctor's office.

I was the last patient to be seen that day, and when I went back, the doctor shared the wonderful news that you were indeed, on the way! I was so happy I cried!

I'll never forget walking out with the doctor and the last nurse there. All the lights were out and the office was quiet. We stepped into the waiting room and who was there waiting to greet us, but our dear friends who'd dropped us off.

They rejoiced with us in the wonderful news that we'd soon be meeting you! And then they went back to our house, cleaned it from top to bottom, including the sink full of dirty dishes I'd left, and dare I admit this on the www, but they also picked up the dead roaches I was too chicken to pick up myself - I was waiting for your daddy to come home and deal with that (I've grown up a little since then), and they prepped the house for the stampede of family. The Mrs. even finished packing my hospital bag and they delivered it along with our vehicle.

While all that was going on, I got checked in and we called the fam. I hear your Bobo never finished dinner so fast!

Everyone came to meet you! They were all SO EXCITED!!! I distinctly remember Bobo cracking the hospital room door and squealing! Let's see, Grandma J, Grandpa J, Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, both my sisters (one of whom drove all night long - in a thunderstorm - or am I making that part up? And she definitely got lost and had to stop at a gas station where the attendant asked what someone like her was doing in that part of town at that hour...but finally, she arrived!) and my baby sister's boyfriend. (I doubt he'll every forget that experience.) Add in a sprinkling of church friends and it was a precious gathering - all to rejoice in God's goodness in the gift of you!

Shortly after you made your grand entrance and we heard those first screams, everyone piled into the room, eager to know if you were a boy or girl, and I remember announcing, "It's a girl!"

A few hours later, still early in the morning, I woke in my hospital bed and I saw your bassinet at my bedside. My head was fuzzy and I was completely exhausted and then the biggest smile spread across my face. I looked to my left. Your daddy was conked out on a cot. And I looked to my right, and there was the most beautiful bundle of life I'd ever laid eyes on. That memory is forever fixed in my heart. In the momentary and fleeting quiet of the hospital room, it was as if time stood still. The memories from the night before came rushing back to me..."could it be? Did I really have a ..... girl?" Lo and behold, I read the card taped to the side of your bassinet and it read, "Baby Girl." And I was overcome with joy and I cried and I thanked God.

Sister, I'd wanted to have a girl so bad. I'd prayed for a girl. I remember sitting on the folding table in the laundry mat, not daring to write it in my prayer journal, for fear if you'd been a boy, but telling God that I really wanted a baby girl.

When the doctor announced, "it's a girl" I was overwhelmed. And in that little slice of quiet, of waking early that morning and breathing in the reality that you'd arrived and that God had seen fit to bless us with a baby girl, I was overcome with joy.

You are precious. You are wonderful. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God has made you intentionally and with great care and purpose. Every detail of your being, He lovingly knit together, from the length of your legs, to the perfect way He placed each freckle on your cheeks. You are a darling gift and God has a wonderful plan for your life.

Last night I shared your birth story with you, the very one I've written here, Little Man was sitting on the sofa with us. I added in how I'd wanted you to be a girl, and then how with Little Man, Daddy had hoped he would be a boy. You stopped me and said, "Mama, isn't God so graceful? (You meant gracious.) He knew you wanted a girl and He created me for you and then He knew daddy wanted a boy and He created Little Man for him. I mean, God is really graceful." That's you, Sister.

And I love your honesty. You crack me up. I hope you will always come to me and share your thoughts and your hopes and your dreams.

You are incredibly creative. I love watching your wheels turn. And perhaps it's selfishness on my part, but I love seeing bits of myself in you. I love that you LOVE getting notes. I feel like we have a sort of secret language...note writing. And this new love of sewing! Oh my. It is wonderful. I cannot believe how opinionated you are! And I love you for it. It's wonderful to know exactly what fabric you want and where.

My darling daughter, God has shown me His goodness and mercy and love in and through you. You are a gift from Him. I am treasuring these years with you. They are going so fast and I pray I am investing wisely. You teach me much! I love you, my treasure. More than anything else, I want you to know you have been bought with a price. A very high price. Death on a cross. You are of great worth and you have a gracious and merciful heavenly Father. I pray you will grow to love Him with every fiber of your being and that whether in life or in death, your eyes remain fixed on Him. He is good. I love you.

Happy sixth birthday sweet girl!!!