Fourteen years ago yesterday at about 8pm I was pulling my pants up in the bathroom of my grandparent's house after I relieved my compact baby bladder. I was 16 months and 22 days pregnant (seemed and looked this way) and was in the middle of a hormone filled quest to get a Zesty Chicken Bowl from Taco Bell.
I wanted that bowl more than I wanted worldly riches at that moment. I had begged and begged Josh to get off the couch and take me. With dramatic tears and minute to minute mood swings he finally obliged. (Have you seen a pregnant woman who had been fat most of her life in a craving fueled binge? He really had no choice but to submit to my request.)
When I pulled my pants up I felt it. It wasn't the rush that I expected from watching the Cone Heads, no, it was much different. I knew it was time. My water had broken.
Fearing that I wouldn't be able to get Taco Bell I told absolutely no one. I slapped on a Playtex overnighter and headed out to Taco Bell for my last ride as a pregnant woman.
It was go hard or go home at this point.
It wasn't until we returned, my belly was full and my cravings were satisfied that I confessed to Josh what had happened. With both of us super nervous for this new chapter of life we left shortly after to make the trek to the hospital that would change our lives forever.
After 16 hours of hard labor and one emergency C-section later I fell in love for the very first time.
Our new baby girl was so absolutely beautiful. Her hair was so long. Her cheeks were so chunky. Her skin was so soft. Her tiny toes and fingers were so sweet.
She was perfect. I was in love; Love like I had never loved before. A mother’s love.
At that exact moment in my life nothing else mattered anymore - not even the regret from the $20 Taco Bell order hours before.
And today, 14 years later, she is still perfect.
Ya’ll. Her heart is so big. She genuinely cares about everyone and everything. She always helps without any hesitation and she is the best role model to her little sister and brother.
We couldn’t have painted a more perfect first born if we tried.
I am so proud of the young lady she is becoming and one of the characteristics that I admire most about Payton is that she is so respectful. In a world where entitlement is misconstrued and respect is long forgotten about, she is the total opposite. She makes me proud, SO proud.
Here’s to wishing my beautiful Payton a very happy 14th birthday.
She’s almost my DD!
LOL
