Rejoicing in Birth-Days

God has blessed me with two healthy children. It took some time to "get" each one, and they ended up 10 years apart. Each time these precious newborn bundles were placed in my arms, I was thrilled to my soul that I "got to be a mommie." I distinctly remember praying in my heart and cherishing those first moments with our baby "on the outside" of my body. I had loved them in my womb and now I could gaze into their faces!

When my baby girl was born, I remember closing my eyes and holding her and thanking God for her safe arrival. I also remember asking Him to keep that exact moment of awe and thanksgiving alive in me forever. When her brother arrived a decade later, my prayer was the same.

So... much like that popular children's book that makes you cry, each year on their birthday, I set my alarm to wake up a few minutes before the actual birth time. (Being a night owl and having two morning births, this really says a lot.) I crept into their rooms, scooped my sleeping baby in my arms and squeezed my eyes tight. Holding them close, I remembered that incredible moment they first came into my arms and tearfully thanked God again. Sometimes they woke up, sometimes they were crabby. Sometimes they even murmured "I love you Mommie." It didn't matter what their reactions were - celebrating their birth was my heart's thrill. (And still is.)

I have come a long way from that first time mom who made personalized stuffed animals for her one-year-old daughter's first birthday guest gifts. Yes, each duckie had an embroidered pink or blue bib complete with the name of the attendee.
Before I learned my lesson, for her fourth birthday I invited the entire neighborhood (parents and siblings included) to celebrate along with me and a huge Costco hotdog receipt.

Along the way, I cooled off a bit and then met a mom who inspired me to have parties every other year. That took the pressure off, especially with one December birthday. For the party years, we hosted a party. (Just no more pony rides.) For the non-party years, we had our kids pick one guest to do one thing. Sometimes the thing was at our home - like pedicures and a bubble bath. Sometimes, the thing was a movie or ski date. Either way, the birth day was celebrated with the family. Our kids learned to look forward to both methods of celebration and we got to keep it real.