on 10-11-12 she turned 13

My dear Emily became a teenager yesterday. Thirteen. It really doesn't seem like that many years ago that I was sitting in my hospital room, alone, getting to know the girl I so desperately wanted. 

I had intended on taking you on a journey through the years, but several things have gotten in the way. 

1. If I get to looking at old photos I don't come back. Hours are sucked away and I kind of need them all right now.

2. My Internet is so ridiculously slow that it has taken 20 minutes and multiple tries to load one photo. I guess like us all it has bad days and days that are even worse.

3. I have a lot going on in my head right now and after years of dragging that baggage around I'm ready to get it out and let it go. And share it with you. 

So... with those 3 elements I give you this.... my pretty girl on her special day at Middle School. 

The day was started with a money tree. 

Then it was waffles and bacon. She doesn't normally eat breakfast, but she loves bacon. Then with intentions of completely embarrassing my Middle School Student (I truly believe every child should have some horror stories to tell when they grow up) I showed up at lunch with cupcakes decorated with a "13". 

Except she wasn't embarrassed. She was excited. She thought it was cool. She let me hang out with her and her friends for lunch without once saying "you can go now". On her big day she gave me a present. 

The last two years have been tense and stressful. A lot of bad emotions flowed between us with fear of losing each other the driving force. Now that the crappy awful hurtful waste-of-time court battle is settled things have changed. We aren't living on the edge. We get along. We laugh. She feels secure so she can relax and she can love her family like she always did, but was too afraid to for fear of losing us. Life with Emily is now as it was meant to be (well, except for that time she isn't here, but her and I are learning to deal with it more constructively than in the past). 

So instead of a photo journey I'll steal Jennifer's post and tell you 13 things about Emily....

1. When she laughs really hard she crinkles her nose. Sometimes she laughs so hard she can't stop.

2. She refuses to eat when she gets up. She likes to wait a couple of hours. 

3. She loves animals and has 5 pets of her own. 

4. She's forgetful, but never complains when you remind her to do a chore (especially an animal chore).

5. She doesn't like school. She never has. She wants to home school with me. We always knew that we'd have so much fun together and that I would teach her everything plus. Her dad won't let us. We both think it sucks he's taken that from us.

6. She's really ticklish and gets mad if you tickle her. 

7. Her voice is beautiful, but she won't sing in front of anyone.

8. She loves to run, but doesn't like organized sports.

9. She hates her big feet and complains about them all the time. 

10. She doesn't like that she is going to be tall. She wants to be like me. :)

11. She  has the best relationship with her step-dad and for that I feel so fortunate. Those two speak their own language and are always laughing together. 

12. She thinks she should be driving at 13. I think she's crazy.

13. Emily is easy-going and down for just about anything. Spontaneous is her middle name. 

Happy Birthday to my precious girl. I love you so.