She's Thirteen Now

Her first birthday.

"Don't she look like a Olivia to you? Look at her eyes, for god's sake. Somebody ole would have eyes like that. So I call her Ole livia."
from The Color Purple by Alice Walker



It was our baby girl's 13th birthday on Saturday. I won't lie and say I didn't have at least one crying jag over that significant fact. I mean, I'm so happy for her and so extremely proud of Olivia, but I know we are ever closer to the day when she isn't living with us. Which is great, it's wonderful, it's exactly how it should be, but it has me wanting to record every second that passes from here on out. And it has me thinking, was it really 13 years ago that she was pushed out into the world and her big ole eyes looked around at us? (We knew then that she had those old soul eyes, just as we knew we'd take her name from The Color Purple (and later her brother's, because Celie's children are Olivia and Adam.)

One of the rare times she napped, at 15 weeks old.


Loving the water at four months.


I know she has had us thinking and laughing from the beginning, with her keen insight, intelligence and perspective.

She had an early love for all things tech, here at five months old.


She kept us busy from the beginning, too, doing everything early, including cutting teeth at 2 1/2 months old, crawling and walking, talking, even swimming early. In many ways it feels like it's all gone very quickly because of this.

I gave her a drawer to play in, here she's 9 months, already walking. She loved this Drawer Of Curiosities. I once found a shrivled potato half in it. And store coupons. Lots of those.


She's always been busy, and independent. For example...

My lip gloss proved to be an excellent experimental art medium. Age two.


So though I sometimes miss these moments, especially ones like this


A quiet moment together, Olivia age one.

I also love the moments we have now, where we sit and talk in her room, or she hangs out in the kitchen with me while I cook, or the discussions in the car...a huge, unbelievable amount of moments like these that I have had the joy in sharing with her, and I know there are many more to come. So be assured, there are happy tears as well.

So. I think she had a good birthday. She recieved lots of lovely cards and thoughtful gifts, got to spend time with her friends, see Alice In Wonderland, eat yummy food and have a sleepover. Happy Birthday, to our darling, brilliant, witty, mindful girl!