Happy Birthday, baby girl!

Emma, I couldn't say it any better than Lee Ann's beautiful tribute to mothers and daughters, but I hope I can do it some justice.

When your grandpa died, we had so many thoughts and emotions swirling around in our hearts and heads, and there were a lot of unanswered questions. We grieved. We faced issues regarding dad's greedy family and girlfriend, and soon grief gave way to anger.

After miscarrying just three days before your sisters 3rd birthday, and over 3 years of coming to terms that we were meant to have an only child... After watching grandpa slowly succumb to cancer and finally leave this world for a better place... YOU came.

Just one short week after your grandpa died- and 4 1/2 months after losing a baby, we found out that you were strong enough to be here. Even as a little seed, you showed your tenacity and strength and held on inside of me like so many others were not able to do. I know your grandpa would get a kick out of knowing that, and knowing you... knowing that the family Stubborn Gene lived on through you, as it does your daddy and sister. :)

That week was one heck of an emotional ride, and finding out about you stopped us dead in our tracks. In one short week, grief and anger turned to tentative joy, then elation. Not tentative over you sweets, but I was so afraid of losing again... I was almost too afraid to be happy at first, not to mention feeling overwhelmed with all that had happened in the span of a week.

But as I said, you're one tough cookie. There is no doubt in my mind that you were so needed and wanted, and so meant to be apart of this family, and you weren't about to let a little thing like endometriosis stand in your way...

I watched you grow so fast, learn all of your sisters mannerisms- including the more difficult ones (which she probably learned from her momma). I cried with you when you hurt yourself, laughed with you when you made funny faces, when you learned that bodily functions were indeed funny and told 3/4's of a knock knock joke. I lied awake at night watching over you when you were sick and restless, and I was too sick with worry to sleep.

Emma, I wouldn't trade a single day, a single moment. Good and bad, ups and downs... they are all part of you... and just like I have told your big sister:

There is nothing you could ever do to make me stop loving you.

Happy 2nd birthday, sweet baby girl.

Love, Bubba (aka momma)