Twelve. A nice dozen. The hours on a clock face. The signs of the zodiac. And now Kayla’s age! It is so hard to comprehend that she can be 12 already! Twelve years ago, Kevin and I drove through 3-4 inches of freshly falling snow at 6AM to get to the hospital. Despite the best attempts by my doctor and myself (including a 2 mile walk around Gurnee Mills when I was 3 days overdue), Kayla was not budging and was now 8 days overdue. We headed in so that she could be induced. They got me all hooked up and monitored. My doctor came in about 7:30AM and broke my water. He said he would check on me mid-morning and that sometime after lunch we would have our new baby. Around 8:30AM, the contractions were getting painful enough that we started the epidural. Kevin was asked to leave, so he decided to head downstairs for a milkshake. He ran into Mom, who had just arrived. Back in the room, I was complaining to the anaesthesiologist that the epidural was not working. He thought I was joking, but had a nurse check on me anyway. That’s when my doctor was paged to come for a delivery – about 9AM. The nurse grabbed Kevin, who was a bit shocked that it was time already. Kayla was 3 sets of pushes and 37 minutes later. 

And now here we are 12 years later. She was my kid who toddled across the room for the first time on New Year’s Eve that year when she was 9.5 months old. She loved her bugs and kept ladybugs in ice trays (ladybug condos). She loved her animals, and still sleeps with Down the Slide – her Beanie baby kitty that she got when she was 18 months old, named after a day playing at the playground just down the road. She has morphed from our baby to a little school girl to a big sister to a kid to a blossoming young lady, all in what seems like the blink of an eye.

I will try to scan some photos and put up a picture sequence for you of Kayla from baby to now. We are proud of who and what she is becoming. She chose to get up this morning and go to church in 31 degree cold to help set up food for the Mobile Food Pantry. She plays her clarinet music, all Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon. She loves her Pokemon cards and books.

And…..she loves her new gift! Thank you to all who were a part of it! Here is the video:

Right now, we have 5 pre-teen girls running around in the basement. Ashley escaped to Mom’s house for the night. We hope Grampa is feeling better! Here’s to our last year without a teenager! EEEEEEEEKKK!