15 today

Fifteen years ago--Mother's Day 1993--I became a mother.

We welcomed Eldest into our family. I became a mother on Mother's Day.

Not the most flattering picture of me ever taken but then NO one looks good after almost 24 hours of labor. Not to mention seven weeks of pre-term labor and five weeks of bed rest.

Our little blond baby girl! (I have still never seen another blonde baby with this much hair.)

She was a joy . . . a bundle of screaming attitude . . . and, as my mother said, "An old soul," from the moment she joined us.

Our very own "California girl" (we actually ended up with two of those!)

Through the years we've had some raucous birthday celebrations:

Here she is testing the frosting with Poppa on her first birthday! Mmmm.

And then there is the utter mayhem of her second birthday! (She redefined "terrible twos".)

Happy fifteenth birthday, baby girl. Happy birthday.

Love always, Mom