Happy 7th Birthday, Abigail Beth!!

(March 13)

SEVEN YEARS OLD!!  That is hard for me to say.  Seven is a strange age.  Not really a baby anymore, but not really a big kid at the same time.  In today's world, seven year old girls believe they need to act 10 or 11.  I am happy to say, thanks to much prayer and guidance from the ultimate parenting book, the Bible, Abby is happy to be seven and acts like she's seven.  Of course, that could change tomorrow, but right now she is just seven.

I vividly remember finding out we were expecting, the entire pregnancy, the labor, and the first look at her beautiful, squishy, red face.  It was the moment I became a mommy and my focus shifted to someone so small and 100% dependent upon me and Daddy.  I was such a strange feeling in the wee hours of March 13, 2006.  I was young and naive, but I had to be grown up at the same time.  Unfortunately, like most young parents, we made LOTS of mistakes.  Hopefully, she won't remember those:)  As our firstborn, however, she will experience being a teenager at the same time we become parents of a teenager for the first time (YIKES) so expect more mistakes:)  Firsts for Abby will also be firsts for us as parents!!
 
A couple weeks before her birthday, Abby announced that she was ready to live on her own and have the responsibilities of a mommy!!!  Of course, my mouth dropped open.  So Josh and I decided to give her "adult" responsibility.  We told her she would clean the whole house, do everyone's laundry, change Jude's diaper, put the boys down for their naps, prepare meals for the family, etc.  (Perhaps this was one of those a fore mentioned mistakes!)  Needless to say, she quickly withdrew her comment and hasn't mentioned it since.  Except for that momentary longing to be a grown up, she is generally content to be her happy self:)

So Abby, what type of girl are you?

• You LOVE school!!  Perhaps it is just the social aspect of it, but you enjoy learning.  During our numerous snow days, we had "school" at home for about two hours to work on spelling and math.  You even enjoyed those days.  Of course, you did like socializing with Micah while he was coloring:)
• You LOVE to color and write.  Toys only hold your attention temporarily, but you could draw, write, and make "books" for  hours. 
• The only thing that you repeatedly asked for for Christmas was a stapler.  Nana and Papaw obliged and gave you a pink stapler.  You have used that stapler to make book after book after book.  So funny that you love that stapler!!
• You love your brothers.  You have been such a huge help with Jude.  You frequently play, sing, or talk to him when he is sad/fussy/whiny and it HELPS.  His legs start kicking as soon as you start talking.  Although you sometimes antagonize Micah and you all like to fight and pick, you are still concerned for his welfare and love to watch out for him and help him.
• You are a hugger!!  You hug everybody.  In fact, sometimes it becomes a problem.  You want to get up in the middle of class and hug your teacher.  Although we don't want to squash that enthusiasm, it has been a challenge to teach you when it is okay to hug and when you need to wait.  Nevertheless, you are still a hugger.
• Clogging!!  You have turned into a great little clogger.  When we first moved to NC, we started you in gymnastics, but decided to switch you to clogging in September. What a great move!!  You love clogging!  You love the costumes, the shoes, the constant moving.  And the best perk is you have made friends.  One in particular, Kara, has turned out to be great for the everyone since our whole family has befriended her family.
• I have been amazed at how well you have adjusted to our move.  Although you have moments when you miss your family and Evan, you have quickly made friends here and have adjusted well to life in the mountains.
• You enjoy hiking. I am impressed at how much you enjoy this.  You are generally a little hesitant and
  "whiny" when we start a hike, but quickly you take the lead and are tromping through mud and bravely leading us along the trail.
• You're a movie junkie!!  You love movies and TV.  In fact, if I don't monitor your TV time, you would be there all day.
• You are sweet, caring, emotional, energetic, and a joy in our lives.  Although I can't hold you in my arms as easily as I used to, you will always be my baby, my first love, the one who made me a mommy.

Rachel