Magoo is 18 years old today.   Such a milestone makes me think back to the day of her birth.  Here are the things that really stand out in my memory:

• She was 10 days late!  (And, you better believe I was not happy about it.)
• SweetGuy and I spent the entire day before her birth raking and seeding our new yard… partially because it needed to be done, and partially because I was trying to bring on labor.
• I had a scheduled OB appointment the morning of her birth and when I arrived at the doctor’s office and told them I thought I was in labor, they took me into the doctor instantly.  No waiting!  I felt so pampered.
• The doc said I was in labor and should go right to the hospital.
• SweetGuy and I were hungry and went through the Hardee’s drive thru on the way to the hospital.  Gotta have your priorities.
• I received an epidural around an hour before she was born.  I remember feeling SO good after that, but my mind was kind of fuzzy too and that concerned me.  I asked the nurse if what I was feeling was normal and he said it was fine.  I drunkenly replied “well, all right then, I AM!”
• I pushed for 7 minutes.  (Kind of mirrors present day – Magoo is routinely late, but she tends to make up time by SPEEDING to her destination.)
• My Mom brought Zack in to the hospital room and he was carrying lilies from our yard.  He was FAR more interested in the elevator buttons and chewing gum than his baby sister.  (Again, things have not changed that much in 18 years.)
• Most newborns cry, but their cries are not very loud.  NOT Danielle.  Hers was piercing.  (Not long after, her cousin Jake made the innocent remark “Now, I know why you call her DanYELL.”)
• Holding our new baby girl was the most beautiful feeling in all the universe.

And, now she’s jetting around the world.  This young woman has already fit a lot of life into her 18 years.  I can’t wait to see what the future brings for her.

Magoo, as you officially enter adulthood, let me say that I can’t imagine a daughter who I could love more or be more proud of.

Well, most of the time.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 11:15 am and is filed under Family. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.