SHE’S HOME!

My baby girl has been home for a week after a month long adventure with my sister and nieces in North Carolina.  She shopped, went to the beach, visited an army base (where my awesome brother in law is stationed), had a tea party, watched “Frozen” a few hundred times, learned how to sew and start tackling the making of a quilt, and shopped some more.  More than all of that incredibly fun stuff; she got to experience a new adventure, life without Mama and Daddy.

Maggie hanging with my sister and one of my nieces.

Maggie's first sewing project.  She even monogrammed her towel.

Talking to the baby in one of our daily Facetime chats.

Maggie and her sweet ice tea at the tea party.

This experience was new for all of us.  Maggie was away from our care and she had to “fend” for herself.  Well, she wasn’t totally alone, but she was in a new city with different, well different everything.  She wasn’t under our wings, she was spreading her own.  I was here, chatting with her daily and Facetiming her at least twice a day, listening to all her adventures, sewing frustrations, new experiences, and most of all her unmitigated joy at having the chance to spread her wings.  I sat here and listened and mourned the little girl that she once was.  I marveled at her strength, her dignity her courage, her beauty, and her faith.  I listened as she shared her life from three states away, and when we hung up, I’d mourn.

Now please don’t get me wrong.  I was super excited she got to go on this month long adventure.  I will forever be grateful to my sister for taking her and letting her invade her life for a month.  But, even in my joy and excitement over her adventure I realized that I wouldn’t have her much longer.  I realized that in a few more years Maggie would be leaving our home to begin her life.  I am not ashamed to admit, I am not ready for that.

I am the one who slept with her nightly.  I am the one who labored with her for a little over 12 hours.  I am the one who kissed her first boo-boo.  I am the one who was terrified of hurting her and watched while Robert gave Maggie her first bath.  I am the one who took her to her first day of Kindergarten and cried all the way home.  I am the one who stays up until midnight just chatting with her.  I am the one who wears the title Maggie’s Mom like the badge of honor that it is.  And I am the one who is not ready to say goodbye.

As happy as I am that Maggie got to go on this adventure.  As thrilled as I am to have her home, I am not ready to enter this next phase of our lives.  I have never been good at turning anything loose.  Preparing my heart to turn Maggie loose is proving to be harder than I thought it would be.  BUT, turn her loose I must.  Gone are the days of tea parties and dress up, slowly that is being replaced with pedicures and cappuccinos.  In spite of that one thing will remain the same; I adore my one and only daughter named Maggie and I am super proud of the amazing woman she is becoming.  More than that, I’m glad she’s home!