Kaela Marie

18 years ago today I gave birth to a baby girl. She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 21 inches long. She was born by cesarean at 8:37 am. The very first time I saw her I knew she was mine. I had to be put under general anesthesia for her birth so I saw her for the first time from the nursery window as I was being wheeled into my room. I knew that she was mine because she had strawberry blonde peach fuzz on her head and she was fair skinned. Nobody told her she was mine - I just knew! I named her Kaela Marie.

The nurses were wheeling her into my room for me to meet her and they stopped outside the door of my room. I saw them all looking at her and laughing. I wondered if there was something wrong with her. Then they wheeled her in my room and I saw what they were laughing at. She was sucking her thumb! She had her thumb in her mouth and her other four fingers covering her face! It was funny and cute!!! When they handed her to me she smelled like a jelly bean! So her nickname, when she was a little baby, was Jellybean!

Kaela was always my risk taker. She was that way during her pregnancy and is still that way today! She is the one who at 9 months old, I went to the bathroom with the door open (around the corner from her) and she took a dining room chair, pushed it up to the buffet and climbed on top of the buffet and was dancing in front of the mirror when I came back (only about 30 seconds had gone by!). She was always the one that would fall and scrape her knee and I would have to chase her to wipe the blood off so it wouldn't get on the carpet. She would try anything and knew no fear. She has made my heart stop more than once in her life!!! That's part of what I love about her - she's quite the adventurer.

Kaela has grown a lot over the years. Today she has grown into a beautiful young woman. Today she is officially an adult! My baby - now all grown up!! She has so many beautiful qualities about her. Yes - she is still an adventurer, knowing no fear and wanting to experience all she can in life!

I'm so proud of her. We've had some very hard times together. There were times that I feared she would not make it but she has. I love her spirit and her spunk!

Kaela was given to me at a very dark time in my life. My mother died on July 13th 1989. I fell into a deep depression and everything seemed dark in my life. On October 27th, 1989 I found out I was pregnant with Kaela. I felt that this was my mother's way of saying "Snap out of it and live your life!". I know that I see and feel my mother's spirit in Kaela.

Kaela is kind and caring - not wanting anything or anyone to suffer. She is adventurous - always looking to explore the unknown. She is hard working - she works 50-60 hours a week. She is learning to be responsible - she owns her own car and has had the same job for over a year.

I am proud of my Kaela Marie!!!

So - Happy Birthday Jellybean!!! I love you!!!