February 1st...1996

February 1st is here again...it's hauntingly eerie that it shows up every single year like clockwork, but here it is again :) It's very bizarre that it's been 13 years since my mom passed away. It feels like it's gone by in a blink...and then on the other hand, it feels like it's dragged on and on. So much has happened, including the usual graduations, jobs, houses, marriages, babies etc...but also things...so many many many other things! So here I am again remembering the details of this day to a "t" as though it was just yesterday that I was a naive 17 (soon to be 18 in a week) year old who never once believed that her mother would actually die until she had a stroke "this morning". And then she did...at 11:00pm.
In other news, since I'm writing...Kiera Rita always makes me feel better with all her kookiness! She is 9 1/2 months old, all over the place like you can't even imagine. She's pulling herself up on things that she shouldn't, talking in her own little language with all types of words that I don't understand (I'm sure that won't be the first time!), eating anything we put in front of her and loving every minute of it, goes to story time at the Library with Aunt Nicole and tries to eat the books, and is becoming the most lovey dovey little person I've ever met. I can't get enough of her and just want to eat her alive at all times! The lygestics are that she weighs over 19 lbs and is really long (Sean took her to her 9 month and can't remember...but she's in the 80th percentile for length...really tall :). She takes steps when we hold her hands and just laughs all the time! She shows me what pure joy really is!

So off I go to continue with my February 1st. At least my mommy sent me a lovely day...we've gone for our first walk in months and months...I had a wonderful dinner with my girls last night who always know how to make me feel endlessly loved...and my family of 3 will push me along to happiness quite nicely.

Melissa