Drowning in Teenagers

I remember when all the older kids were little and Jay and I would joke that someday we would have four teenagers in the house at the same time!


Well....


That day has arrived!


Today is Sarah's 13th birthday!  I can't believe that the baby we held in our arms is now a teenager!  The transformation from a little girl to a young woman has been happening slowly over the last couple of years.  Sarah has spent more time getting dressed, wanting to go shopping for her own clothes, doing her hair......


People always warned me that "Girls are so much harder than boys!  Just wait until your daughter's a teenager!"  I have to say, those words haven't rang true for us(at least yet).  Sarah is, for the most part, an emotionally level person.   


All of our children are blessings!  Sarah's birth brought a lot of happiness back into our lives.  Her arrival, one day before the one year anniversary of Therese's birth, helped to fill the hole that Therese's death had left.  She couldn't replace Therese, but she filled our empty arms and hurting hearts!  


Sarah has always been Daddy's little girl!(As is Ellie and Kate:)  The girls have Daddy wrapped around their fingers.  We have this picture I took from right before we left the hospital of Sarah, dressed in her homecoming outfit(pink of course), laying in the hospital bassinet.  Jay is leaning over it to kiss her little cheek.  The look on his face is pure bliss...just filled with love and joy.


We were released from the hospital late at night because I had to wait until the 48 hour mark because I had tested positive for strep B and Sarah was born at 9:55pm.(7lbs. 11oz 21in and the easiest of my 7 non-medicated births..Luke and Kate were born after receiving epidurals!)    


The boys were asleep when we got home that night.(They were 6, 4,and 3).  I remember changing Sarah's diaper at 5:30 the next morning and she was crying because she was hungry.  I heard rustling from the boys' room.  The I heard Mike's sleepy voice get all excited, "I hear a baby crying!"  Six little legs came running out of the room thrilled to find their baby sister home!  


Sarah was such a sweet baby and toddler.  She was laid back and easygoing.  Even as a toddler at church she would sit on Jay's lap and just cuddle with him..I don't ever recall having to bring her to the "cry room."(Where we have taken up residence with most of my other kids when they were toddlers!)

Sarah is still sweet.  She is gentle and loving and thoughtful.  She is outgoing and personable.  She loves her younger siblings..tolerates her older brothers when they are teasing her mercilessly...and is such a joy!  


Just so you don't think she is all sweetness...her nickname on the basketball court is "killer."  Her coach says if the other team gets the ball and Sarah is next to it....he feels bad for the other team.  I think the court is where she takes out all her aggression towards her brothers!


So Happy Birthday to our special little girl!  You are such a blessing!  Please try not to grow up too fast.  Your poor dad needs time to adjust!  


God help us when Sarah is ready to get married!  Jay has cried at every song about little girls growing up and getting married since Sarah was 10!  I think we may have to medicate him to get through that day!:)  

p.s. You may have noticed that I made some changes to my blog!  I hope it didn't confuse you if you've visited before!  I'm taking baby steps(very slowly) with all this technology!  I hope you like them!