My Birthday Girl!

TToday is NATALIE RUTH FRY HORNE'S 32nd Birthday! How can she be that old?? I thought I was only 32! HAHA! As with all the other kids, I have written about how exciting and what  a gift from God each child was/is to Terry and myself on each of their BIRTH days. And, on their BIRTHdays, I of course, love to remember each one's special day on which they came into the world. Natalie's was unique in the fact that she was a GIRL!!!! Oh my gosh! I had a girl! Back in the OLD DAYS, when you had to WAIT to find out the sex of your baby, I agonized for 9 long months that I would have baby boy number 3! HAHAHA!  No, Not really, but I am quite a "girly girl" myself and just was dying for a baby girl! I wanted one so bad I could taste it! I stared at moms in Walmart with their baby girls all "dolled up" with their little bows in their hair and smocked dresses on. I would look to see if they had OLDER BOYS! HAHAHAHA! I loved  reading the STATISTICS regarding boys vs. girls in families! I held baby girls at church and imagined how it might be to have a GIRL to take into the nursery on Sunday mornings,too! I checked FAMILY HISTORY on Terry's side to see if it were genetically  even POSSIBLE to have a girl! HAHA! Yep! Terry had 2 YOUNGER SISTERS! Hurrah! That part was encouraging! I , of course, said to everyone, "I don't care as long as IT'S healthy!" Of course, what I DIDN'T Say was, "I WANT A GIRL!" hahahaha! Seriously, of COURSE, I would have been FINE and felt totally BLESSED  with another baby boy but I must admit, I was a little obsessed with having that girl and it still didn't keep me, while being pregnant to just IMAGINE how it would feel to hear the doctor say those MAGIC WORDS! So, imagine my shock when I heard those  MAGIC words: "IT'S A GIRL"! GIRL???? WHat's that????? I had to SEE that she was a girl, Ididn't believe the doctor! Having that girl was just the best thing ever! NOT TO SAY having 2 boys wasn't JUST AS GREAT ( I can't emphasize that enough!), but it was just this GIRL part of me that just desired having a daughter to HANG WITH ONE DAY! And, we DO! Having Natalie and Katie are just like having 2 best friends! (yes, I was blessed to have another boy after Natalie and then, surprise! Another GIRL!).  That's what I envisioned, believe it or not, 32 years ago, having a baby girl and imagining she and I doing things that only moms/daughters do ! Having a daughter to be able to be my FRIEND as they grew older. (now , having said that, they were NOT my best friend while they were teens! HAHAHAHAHA). It is truly one of God's greatest blessings to me, having Natalie as my "grown up friend/daughter". I can't imagine life without her and I praise and thank God for her in my life and for the gift He gave me 32 (short!) years ago! I LOVE YOU, NATALIE RUTH!   HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!