As I write this, it will turn midnight, and be March 4, 2012.  This will be the day my daughter turns 13 years old.  It was thirteen years ago today that I was a scared, new mom in labor.  I won’t bore you with my “birth story”, as that is only a good story to me.  (Although I did get my fingers slammed in the car door) Thirteen years ago I had a lot of dreams for this baby girl.  This baby girl came with all the same hopes and dreams that most every mother has for their babies.  She had a load of black hair, a cherub round face, and bright red cheeks.  She cried like someone was seriously hurting her – which put a smile on my face.  When they showed me her face for the first time, I couldn’t believe that she was mine.  Phoebe Louise Trier came via c-section at 6:00 pm on March 4, 1999.

This baby girl also came in to this world with issues from the beginning.  They were monumental at the time.  MONUMENTAL to a new mother, who had no idea what to expect.    She tried to breath before she was out, and took in fluid.  She spent five days in the NICU.  I was devastated, and scared to death.  She didn’t like to eat, as she was being given IV fluids (or liquid jelly beans as my mom and I called it).  Once she was given the ok…we took our brand new baby girl home for the first time.   As any new mother will say, it was a scary, exciting time.

I won’t say that this 13 year journey has been an easy one, because I would be lying.  We have been through ear tubes (4 sets), tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, speech and language, physical therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, and numerous other things that I choose to not mention again.   I have had numerous breakdowns, and got back up on my feet and met the next challenge with strength that I never knew I had.  My strength came from this baby girl who smiled, giggled, babbled, hugged, kissed, and loved her mommy and daddy so much. She was a happy, happy, happy baby, who loved to go for walks, shop, visit friends, eat and be held.  (for the 19 months that she didn’t walk)  She never met a milestone on-time, but when she did- I was ecstatic.  

So as I turn in to the mother of a teenager, I will meet all these new challenges with strength, and hope.  I will challenge her, and she won’t like it.  I will make her try new foods, and she’ll get mad, and I will be the one she will be the angriest at.  These things I am prepared for as a parent of a teenager, and as the parent of a child with Autism.

I am the one who will do these things for you, Phoebe, because baby girl…I love you as much as I did the day you were born.  My hopes and dreams have not changed for you.  You are an amazing, unique, smart, beautiful girl inside and out.  I love your quirky-ness.  Nothing will be easy, but who said life was easy?

Happy 13th Birthday. 😉