Happy 7th Birthday, Rachael!

Seven years ago this morning I was handed one of the biggest if not THE BIGGEST surprise of my life. My first baby was born 5 weeks early, little Racha-Frecha. We were so not ready, had no diapers in the house, clothes were not washed, and had only days before finished our childbirth class. At 10:00 the night before Keith had come home from Scofield to find me already in bed (no big surprise) and since I was awake I figured it would be a good time to use the bathroom. I stood up and felt a gush between my legs and the first thought that came to my mind was "Have I lost complete control of my bladder?" Nope. We got to the hospital about 1:30 am and 8:02 am I met my daughter, the skinniest most gangly thing I had ever seen. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of dark, curly hair she had (where did it go?) But most of all I was amazed at how instantly the love you have for this new little one completely washes over you and fills you until you are about to burst.
I don't know where the last 7 years have gone. I have learned so much from you and consider it an honor to have you call me mom. I hope you have a wonderful birthday, sweetheart!

Here are 7 of the things I love about Rachael.

1-She is the best helper in the world. She is like the 2nd mother in our house and never complains when I call on her to help with a task.

2-She loves music, singing and playing the piano. (Don't know where she got that from :))

3-She is an excellent student and enjoys learning new things. She can't wait for school to start on Monday.

4-Rachael wears her heart on her sleeve and is so sensitive to those around her. I appreciate how she knows when I need a hug and a kiss.

5-She is the best big sister you could find. Whether she admits it or not, she loves to play with her little sisters and wrestle with Dustin.

6-I love that Rachael is so like me. On the outside she may look like her dad, but I'd say she has more of me in her.

7-I'm grateful that she chose us to be her family.