Eleven years ago yesterday, I became a mother for the second time.  Harley was a struggle from day one.  I had a rough pregnancy with her – starting with pre-term labor at 29 weeks, bedrest for 6 weeks, and her birth 5 weeks premature at 35 weeks.  She was my smallest baby at 6 pounds 9 ounces, and she was 19 inches long.  We struggled a lot with Harley’s health the first two years of her life – several trips to the hospital with pneumonia and RSV, seizures that started at 10 months, stints in the hospital for dehydration, and just general puny-ness.  Between 2 and 3 she grew out of all her health issues, and she’s been perfectly healthy ever since.  There were times I know we questioned whether she would live long enough to celebrate all the milestones she’s reached.  Some how, though, she made it through, and we have this gorgeous, tender-hearted girl in our lives.  We are blessed.

You wouldn’t know it to look at her now, but Harley was a chunk.  No, she wasn’t just a chunk, she was down right roly-poly!  She was one of those babies who looked like they had rubber bands around their wrists and ankles!

Six weeks.

10 Months – before the “tame” hair fell out and the horrible hair grew in.

11 Years.  Simply Beautiful!

This year for her birthday, we had a girls’ day in Tri-Cities.  The five of us had lunch at Olive Garden, then we did some shopping and had dinner.  It was such a great day celebrating one of my girls with all of my girls!  The memories of spending time with her sisters and being each others friends are ones I know she will treasure forever.

So here’s to Harley – May you have another amazing year, I am looking forward to watching you learn, grow, explore, discover, and conquer this next year in your amazing life!