Birthdays: String Bean turns 9!

While the little ones are upstairs praying for tons of snow ... and we just might get it (and thus, a snow day as dad and Kotch will be home!) ... I am remembering 9 years ago when our little String Bean was born.

She missed being born on the Millenial Leap-day by hours ... and boy, was that delivery room crowded with multiple births, first-time births and little ol' me who just about blue-lined with too much epidural (and, to add insult to injury, the anethesiologist had NO sense of humor). Once I gave birth, they shoved me off to a disused wing and put me in a room that was cannibalized for other rooms (that is, dh had no chair to sit in when he came to visit) because I was an "experienced" mom ... and it was fine because I had another perfect little daughter who was so beautiful and always smiling.

And, nine years later, she is still always smiling. She loves her family so much that yesterday, when she and I went for a "ladies' day", she insisted we get something for everyone so "no one will feel bad when I open my presents". She spent WEEKS making dh a book about her life that brings tears to dh's eyes each time he looks at it (!). She picked out the perfect earring set for Kotch -- three pairs of cool turtles, Kotch's new "animal"; a set of poker cards/chips for 10-yo LegoManiac and a really cool Baseball Blast game for BamBam.

String Bean did get lots of nice treats of her own ... including a Baton Rouge phone call from her big brother and an email from her big sister at Georgia Southern, flowers from Dad, a light sabre from LegoManiac and a really cool Garden Fairies in a Box set from Kotch.

Oh, and the rabbit she's hugging so tightly is a Build-a-Bear Workshop cutie she "made" herself when we were having our Mommy/String Bean day yesterday. She also picked out The Lost Files of Nancy Drew and the Nancy Drew Pocketbook Mysteries (which includes the first two ND books in a case that becomes a pocketbook -- how cool is that?)

It's still snowing, the kids are sleeping and it looks like String Bean and the kiddoes will have a day to enjoy all the wonderful things we did on her 9th birthday!

Happy Birthday, dear girl and may God continue to bless you abundantly!