Double Digits!

My Jillian turned ten this morning. She really has quite the personality, and always has. She is my laid-back, happy go lucky child. For the most part. She was is so laid back, in fact, that she didn't see the need for walking until she was eighteen months old. But where she lacked in walking, she made up for in talking. She used words that she didn't even know the meaning to before she was mobile. We are always in stitches over the things she says. Most of the time she isn't even aware of just how humorous she is. Her imagination is rather vivid, which keeps her happily in her own little word. We have no blondie's in our family (literally speaking), however, if we did...she would be our blondie (figuratively speaking, if you catch my drift). Not to make fun...for I absolutely adore that aspect of her personality. She really could be a clone of my own youth. There's a lot to be said of naivety and passivity.

Looking back over the past ten years, there are so many things that come to mind. Like the time when she was two and began talking towards the wall at the dinner table. "Shh! I have to each my lunch! I can play later!" After some investigation on my part, it turned out she had an imaginary friend. Who knew? Oh, and she also informed me at two that she had three pink dogs that lived outside and she had to go out every so often to feed them. At three she was a flower girl in a wedding. After I dressed her up and fixed her hair she expressed her concerns to me about her getting married to the blond little boy which was the chosen ring bearer. I worked hard to convince her that indeed she was not getting married, she was just part of the wedding. Although, the little boy looked a little too comfortable with the arrangement.

And then, when I became pregnant with our third little girl, Jillian was convinced that there was a baby in her belly, as well. Turns out she was wrong, just as I suspected.

Four years back I learned the hard way that not all music in Disney movies are appropriate for little children. Jilly just has a knack for picking up music and memorizing words. Chicken Little did our family an injustice when they chose to put, "If ya wanna be my lover" in their movie. It took me a week to get her to stop singing such inappropriate lyrics. (Thank you, Walt Disney.) And just last year she informed me that when she grew up she was going to live in WalMart. To which I asked which aisle. Yup...you guessed it. The toy aisle. Oh, how I do enjoy her youth!

I cannot reminisce over the past decade of her life without recalling God's providential hand in her life. When she was a five week old baby we experienced a pivotal moment in time. Jillian had become ill with a cold, and my maternal instincts went into overdrive. I brought her to see the doctor on a Friday, only to be sent home with the diagnosis of "a common cold". On Saturday after I nursed her, the tiny little body I was attempting to burp went completely limp. She wasn't breathing. After a panicked 911 call and frantic ambulance drive to the hospital we determined that she was one very sick little baby. She had RSV, and continued to discontinue breathing for the next few hours. The decision was made to intubate, and she spent the next week in the NICU this way. I could not hold her, could not nurse her. Day after day was spent watching her medicated, swollen, lifeless body struggle to heal itself. Watching oxygen sats, and praying to God that He would protect this precious life.

One week and a half later, an extubation then re-intubation, and finally tubes removed and careful observation, we were sent home. There we carefully watched her, and patiently we resumed nursing and life as we knew it before. Through that whole experience there were some crucial life lessons learned. Even though we hold our children in our arms, we just aren't guaranteed how long we will be able to do so. Every day is a gift. Daily we must put our faith in God and whatever His plan for our lives holds. Our Jillian, as well as our other children, aren't just our children. They are precious gifts and amazing miracles.

Every birthday that comes and goes is such a wonderful opportunity to reminisce the past, celebrate the present, and prepare for the future.