Exactly 7 years ago today...

...was Lucy's due date. I was huge and pregnant, but definitely not miserable. That was my first pregnancy, and I loved every minute of it. I knew we would never be that physically close ever again, and it was the sweetest feeling in the world. I was anxious to meet her, of course, but I never had the I-just-can't-wait-until-this-baby-is-born, last trimester pain and suffering.

We opted to forego the sex-determining ultrasound in order to be surprised on her birthday. I turned out to have borderline low amniotic fluid levels and ended up having about 6 ultrasounds in the last 3 weeks of her gestation, ironically enough. Still, our OB, who did his own ultrasounds, never went 'there.' (He did, however, mention that 'everybody should have a girl first' during an office visit, but we turned deaf ears.)

So, her due date came and went, and 8 days later, just when I was pretty sure I would be pregnant for the rest of my life, she came screaming and pink and perfect into the world.

And she turned our world upside down in just about every conceivable way.

I can hardly believe she'll be 7, will make her first Holy communion in May, and is the best big sister (most of the time to her brother, all the time to her baby sister - never mind the Tootsie Roll pop she gave her in the car that nearly obstructed her airway).

She's feisty and fun, bright and determined, and she challenges my parenting skills daily. She is all I imagined her to be when she was only a tiny dot on an ultrasound screen. And much more. We love you, Luce.