Birthdays

We just celebrated two birthdays in our house.  My baby girl just turned one year old last week and my youngest son just turned three the day before that.

Birthdays are kind of a big deal in our house.  We let the birthday child choose their meals all day long.  They often get to choose an activity to do as a family or have a birthday party.  We do cake and ice cream and presents.  The cake is their favorite part, I think (I could be wrong, but they sure get excited about it), because I always make a fun cake that has to do with something they are into right then.  My three-year-old's cake was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cake of his favorite turtle--Michelangelo.

But my kids' birthdays are very special to me.  They are close to my heart in a way that is different than they are for anyone else, even my husband.

Whenever one of my kids has a birthday, I reflect back on the actual day of their birth.

I remember how the labor began, what I was doing when it started.

I remember what the birth was like and what it was like when my baby was first placed in my arms.

All of the emotions I had at that time come flooding back, only they come flooding back as bittersweet because that time is gone and done.  Bitter because I will not be experiencing the anticipation of the birth of my own children ever again nor feel the high of delivering that baby and seeing him or her for the first time in my arms.  Sweet because I look back on those times very fondly, as the births of each of my six children were such beautiful, sweet, spiritual moments in my life.

And with each birthday, I think to myself, "It's been one year (or two years, or five years, or ten years) since I was in that hospital room in labor having that baby" and I remember that day and those feelings I had.

My children's birthdays may be exciting days for them, but they are such sweet, sweet days for me.

Now, let's see if you can guess which baby is which?  10 points if you get them all right!  (They are in no sort of order, and let's be blunt--the first picture is quite obvious who it is--the hair!)