You see, my hubby has a New Year’s birthday and my oldest daughter is Jan 9th. That leaves me with an extra couple of weeks on my holiday timeline. Well this year was a milestone birthday for my daughter. Sweet 16. All I can think of is WHERE DID ALL THE TIME GO??? My beautiful 8 pound 6 oz baby girl has grown into quite the young woman.

16 is a milestone in so many ways. She will have her license soon and that brings about a different kind of autonomy. She is old enough to date should she choose to do so. Old enough to get a part time job (also if she chooses to do so). It is amazing how we go from one day to the next and all of a sudden she is old enough to do certain things. It left me reflecting on if I have prepared her enough for that great big world out there. Can she make her own decisions? Can she stand in her truth when needed? Does she know how to protect herself? Did I give her enough perspective to realize that the world isn’t always rosy without jading her into thinking the world is a scary place to be? Does she know that she can count on me “NO MATTER WHAT”?

In two more years, my beautiful baby girl will be 18 and getting ready to venture out into this great big world at the college of choice (I am crossing my fingers that it is a local one, but that decision is also up to her). I have 2 more years to prepare her that next step of autonomy. This has all come about way too fast. She really can’t be this grown up. Hey, maybe someone snuck in my house and switched kids on me. Maybe it is still really 2002 and she is getting ready for kindergarten. Wow, I am so relieved. I knew this had to be a dream (or a nightmare, depending on your perspective….)

Wait a minute. I woke up… she is 16 and I just realized that I have 2 more in line right behind her. Not quite sure if they are going to be so easy on my (see pic below….) By the way, posting this pic is a payback to my middle daughter for always leaving me “messages” on my phone.

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