Emma Jayne, birthday girl

Yesterday, my little girl turned 14.

Having lit the candles, Adam is doing his swallow-a-lit-match trick.  Mark looks concerned.

Fourteen plus years ago, as a mother of just Braeden, I thought of everything in relation to him.  He was pretty much the emperor and I was his minion.  I wondered how having a new baby would impact him. How would he feel about sharing the limelight?  Also, how could I possibly love another baby as much as I loved him?  I comforted myself that I was giving him a sibling that would bless his life.

Enter Emma Jayne on a February morning in New Haven, CT.

The second I saw her I loved her every bit as much as I loved Braeden.  And I was right that giving Braeden Emma as a sister is probably the best thing I could have done for him.

Olivia, does Braeden remind you of Ruben here?

(Also, unfazed by siblings, Braeden still firmly believes he's the center of my world.)

Things have a way of working out.

When I found out Emma was going to be a girl, I was immediately worried about the fact that I am not good at doing hair.  When I went shopping for little girl clothes, I was immediately aware that they were a lot more fun than little boy clothes.

That's being the mother of a daughter.  You're painfully aware of your failings; you think the girl things are a lot of fun.

I would not trade my girl for anything (sometimes she's the only one that laughs at my jokes).

Happy birthday, Emma.  Thanks for filling our house with music and poetry and art.  Thanks for being you.