Double Digits

10 Years Old.
My first baby girl is 10 years old today.
Wow.
If I close my eyes and think back, I can almost feel the little warm pink newborn swaddled and sleeping on my chest so early that rainy February morning ten years ago.

We were both exhausted from a long night of labor which had ended around 5am when little Miss Sara Kolby Grosz made her world debut. Rob and I called and woke everyone up early that morning to tell them "It's a Girl!" Everyone says this about their baby, but Kolby really was such a beautiful baby girl. (Well, once they cleaned her up and her nose plumped out from being squished inside the labor canal!)
Kolby seemed to be born with her eyes wide open. I'll never forget my first moments holding her. Those navy blue eyes calmly stared back at me as she took in the first sights of her new world. She was so content for a newborn. She barely even cried when she was born prompting her slightly drugged Mommy to ask "Why isn't she talking?" My question was met by giggles from the nurses. They must have thought "first time Mom."
It sounds so weird to say this, but Kolby was a confident little baby. She knew just what to do to nurse, which was great since I was clueless. She slept at will and let us know if she needed something. She was a pretty easy baby...for the first week or two at least! ;)

And now she is ten. A big girl who likes to listen to her I-pod, play with her Webkinz, and hang out with her friends. She wants to get a cell phone (uh..NO!) and talks about the car she wants to drive someday. (Be still my heart!) But no matter how grown up she thinks she is, when I look at her I can still see that confident blue eyed baby I met so early ten years ago this morning!

Last week one of Kolby's teachers stopped me in the hall at school to say how much she enjoyed having her in class. "I just love your daughter. I wish I had a whole class of Kolby's," she said. I was truly touched by her words and very proud. But I was also a little ashamed because my knee-jerk reaction was almost to say something like "My Kolby? Really?" But I stopped myself because I knew the teacher was very sincere and I know Kolby is a great little girl. In the hustle and bustle of day to day life I'm afraid I loose sight of that. I feel like I am always having to get on her for this and that. Mostly little things. I sometimes forget to sit back and see the big picture. I don't always acknowledge what a great little girl God has given us. But not today. Today I am so grateful for my little girl. God has blessed me through Kolby in countless ways in the last decade. I can't imagine life without her sweet smile and tight hugs!

So Happy, Happy, Birthday my sweet, sweet 10 year old girl! Watching you grow up is one of the greatest blessings and adventures of my life. Though I hope it goes by slowly, because it is hard to let go of something you love so, so much, I get excited thinking about the amazing woman God will form in you in the decades to come... And I don't want to miss a minute of it! I love you forever!
Mommy