Deanna

Tomorrow's Deanna's 12th birthday. It's so hard to believe she's that old. In so many ways, she's still my little baby girl.

I love that she still likes to snuggle with me - not all the time, just occasionally. But she DOES snuggle. And she has a great sense of humor. Last Friday, when she was home sick with a stomach bug, she felt terrible, so I had her go lie down in my bed and I went and laid down with her. I got to telling her funny stories and got her laughing. Don walked by and decided she couldn't be very sick as perky as she seemed.

Deanna's always been fun. She's a joy to have around. From the moment she was born, she's kept me entertained. If I'm going shopping or out to run errands, I always try and talk her into going with me because she's such great company. She's a quiet, sensitive, loving child. She really sees things, things past the surface. She's intuitive and pays attention to the little things. She's a very gifted person. She's creative and enjoys crafts and loves making jewelry.

I don't believe I've ever known a kinder heart except, perhaps, her father's. Even when she's deeply hurt, she looks past her own pain and is worried about others.

She's still a little girl in many ways. She likes simple things. She still sleeps with her doll that her Aunt Sue gave her for her 4th birthday (Rose Petal). She loves that doll. And she also sleeps with a pillow-buddy, Puddle Juice, that I gave her on her Pediatricians recommendation to help her when I weaned her. He recommended getting something that she could snuggle when she wanted to nurse. Puddle Juice was her choice and she dearly loves him. He's gotten pretty torn up over the years (she drags him to every slumber party, out in the woods when we go camping, etc.) but we've patched him and Grandma's sewn him up, and he just keep hanging on.

When we re-did our house five years ago, Deanna wanted her room done in a horse motif. I chose some fabric, blue and grey fleece, with horses for her comforter and a blue daisy print for a dust ruffle. I chose a coordinating fabric for the back side of her comforter and her window treatments. I painted a border around her room of horses rearing back, just above the chairrail, and we decorated with plastic and wooden horses and horseshoes. Over the last two years or so, I've asked her several times if she wouldn't like a more adult-looking room, if she'd like me to re-do it. She always says no. She says she loves it just the way it is. I always find that a little surprising and expect her to want something a little "older", but no. She likes it just the way it is.

She's simple and sweet and I can't even imagine life without her. She's smart and funny and I can't imagine life without her. She's kind and deeply intelligent and I can't imagine life without her. She brings joy into our home and keeps her brothers occupied and I can't imagine life without her.

Deanna always wanted a baby sister, but we got Daelyn, instead. Deanna has always been sad that God didn't give her a sister. I've tried to explain to her that our relationship wouldn't be as special if I had another daughter, but that doesn't really matter to her. She wanted a little girl to love and nurture and share girly things with. I try to make up for that by being attentive to her and making sure she gets lots of girl-time with me.

But she's one of the great joys of my life. I pray I will always be close to her, my only daughter.

Happy Birthday, my baby girl. I love you.

Mama