Good Morning,

As I get ready to celebrate my 36th birthday, I'm starting to appreciate the crazy amount of love a parent has for a child. Yesterday, I came across a scrapbook my mom made for me one Christmas of old photos and keepsake records:

My mom wrote in beautiful penmanship...



FIRSTS

BABY SET OUT TO EXPLORE THE WORLD

On Mar. 1 BABY smiled for the first time and laughed on May 1. BABY first recognized Mother's face on Mar. 1.

What I like to think happened here is this...It simply took about a month for my eyes to adjust. There was no excessive gas thus no undefined smiling. On March 1, once I saw my Mother's face I was pleased. Then on May 1, I recognized this thing called Dad.

I do not know why parents keep neat scrapbook records of the BABY'S first nights sleeping or first feedings...

July 21, 1975 was a very significant day in history. Apparently, on this day I ate my first solid graham cracker!!!

Somehow a parent's love is so strong that they will write an entire paragraph on BABY'S SLEEPING patterns and habits in intimate detail when from what I can tell a sentence would've summed it up best.

The first night anyone got a decent night’s sleep was March 13, 1975.

Today's newborn may have video documentarian evidence of their every move, wiggle and first steps. I am left to piece together the story of my arrival from old photos, birth announcements and these curious things called hair clippings.

I was not an attractive infant. My mom cherishes the story of how my arrival was a relative breeze compared to that of my brother but the BABY'S FIRST photo suggests otherwise. Taken in black and white I look appropriately smooshed and blobbish.

IT'S A GIRL! the birth announcement celebrates. It warms my heart to know that I was not apparently a disappointment from the get go. My mom used four exclamation points after BABY is a Girl!!!! and never less than two anywhere else.

The hair clippings suggest nature's protective covering to ensure the survival of the BABY through childhood...

Light brown, fuzzy baby hair adds a layer of cuteness to the squishy skull. Then the head starts to harden and God needs something to help promote the innocence and continued sustainability of the child. This comes in many forms but on September 30, 1976 it seems I was getting by on silky locks of blond hair.

Okay, I bet you get the idea by now, I feel very grateful to both my parents for welcoming me into this world with such love and attention. Although it is safe to say, I will probably never experience the joy of welcoming a child into my own life, I'd like to celebrate and appreciate the joy that is held in the eyes of my friends, family and new people when I see it. The "it" that drives a parent to...scrapbook.

Happy Monday,

Amanda

p.s. fun photo- At what age does the BABY start eating like this!? And what exactly happened to my sock?