DSC02911 Today is my baby’s birthday, she’s twenty-four. How did this
little being that used to live inside of me become the amazing young woman I
know today? I'm awed and honored. What a gift another soul gives you when you become a parent.

I reminisce and remember baby
love on this day every year. It’s so easy for me to see that innocent free spirit of her childhood but I also see
them hidden a little more each year as she becomes who she thinks she should be
or who others expect her to be. I know it's a part of our human journey and have faith she'll stay true to herself.

This reminded me of my own inner child and
how important it is to let her know she’s safe, loved, and still worthy of
contributing to my life. Let your inner child shine! Today’s self care: experience unfettered joy, delight,
and playfulness!

Before our bundle of love was born we had two girl names and two boy names
picked out. We went with girl name number one and as soon as I saw her I knew
it wasn’t a good fit, I didn’t know that about names before that moment. Does
our name choose us? The first person in the delivery room to ask me her name said, “Oh
my sister-in-law just named her baby that.” That isn’t what a brand new mom
wants to hear—I wanted her name to original and unique. But I had chosen and
said it out loud.

I had been moved from a midwives birth center to the
hospital due to a prolonged labor and their rules were we had to stay five
hours with a newborn. We were out of there on jello like legs the moment they’d
let us go and gingerly motored our way home with our new treasure sound asleep in her
little car seat.

The whole trip was surreal and then I said to my DH, who had
endured every moment of labor with me: his hand in my vise like grip, “She doesn’t
look like her name, I know it’s not right, are you okay with changing her name?”
Smart hubby that he is he didn’t say he liked the first name better he said, “Anything
for you.” And the next day he made the one hour trip back to Gainesville and endured the registrars
withering gaze as he officially changed our daughter’s name to Brin Leah Allen.

Happy birthday Brin, you’ll always be our baby girl, thank
you for blessing our lives with yours.