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My youngest turned twoBy Maria Bailey Sunday my baby girl turned two years old. It was a day definitely worthy of a diary entry. In fact, I thought about all the things I could write throughout the day. First on the list, a simple observation: It amazes me that it took four children to realize that two year olds don't really understand their birthday. Wow, what a revelation! I guess I really didn't need to spend the hundreds of dollars I did throwing events comparable to a black-tie gala for a first birthday. Does it count if I use the old childhood excuse that everyone else was doing it? I thought it was customary to create party favors that look like Christmas gifts and invitations that are interactive, three dimension and commercially printed. Every other mother seemed to be doing the same. I've heard it said that the youngest in a big family always gets short changed and it might be true. Morgan's baby book is still almost empty. I forgot to tape in her first lock of hair and there are no dates filled in next to the teeth chart. I didn't even send out invitations to her small, intimate, nothing-special birthday party. I did buy a Barney piņata at the last minute, but it was really for the older kids. Morgan didn't even know to pick up the candy as it fell. She did enjoy rubbing cake into the carpet and smearing pizza on her face so my efforts weren't all in vain. I guess if she didn't know that it was her birthday, she didn't miss the ice cream I forgot to buy or the clown I didn't hire. The day was somewhat somber for me as well. It was sad to realize that my baby was growing up. It will be any day now that she stops holding my hand or blowing me kisses as I leave for work. Tomorrow, I'm prepared to hear her ask for the car keys. I used to have my heart set on a having another child so I didn't worry about my other children leaving the baby stage because there was always a chance I'd have another one day. It's only recently that I've come to admit that Morgan's high energy might have been my sign from above that four is a good even number. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not ruling out anything because as this infertile woman will tell you, anything in life can happen and I'll welcome whatever comes my way. But if it doesn't, it saddens me to think that my childbearing years (and I include adoption days in there) might be coming to an end. My days of having a baby around might be over until grandchildren, how sad. Morgan's birthday truly serves as a celebration for me. I celebrate the day I got the unexpected call at my office that her birthmother had gone into labor a month early. I celebrate her birthmother's courage and unselfish love to entrust my husband and I with her newborn. I celebrate the first time I held her in the hospital and cried with her birthmother as we both expressed our love for her. I couldn't help but think about her birthmother as I lit Morgan's birthday candles. I hope that it wasn't a difficult day for her and I wondered if she was thinking of us too. I'm sure she was and I hope that she felt confident that our daughter was growing into a beautiful, happy little girl. I will always feel privileged and lucky that she chose me to be Morgan's mother. She did an incredibly courageous thing that day twenty-four months ago and today I celebrate that our baby turned two. Have a great week. Share your thoughts on our message board or email Maria.
Also see: Maria Bailey is the CEO and founder of BlueSuitMom.com and a mother of four children under the age of seven.
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