8 MORE DAYS

(ABOVE: Jaden ~ 6 days old ... wearing one of many hats from Aunt Niki!) 2002

(ABOVE: Jaden with her new haircut and no front teeth ... showing her $30 check from Aunt Jenny for her 6th Birthday! Happy 'almost' 6th Birthday Punkin'!) 2007

(ABOVE: Happy 5th Birthday Jaden! Magic Kingdom - Florida!) 2007

(ABOVE: Happy 4th Birthday Jaden! Swimming Party @ Hotel in Burnsville, MN) 2006

(ABOVE: Happy 3rd Birthday Jaden! Chuck E Cheeses; Burnsville, MN) 2005

(ABOVE: Happy 2nd Birthday Jaden! Red Robin Burger Joint; Apple Valley, MN) 2004

(ABOVE: Happy 1st Birthday Jaden! The Clark House; Prior Lake, MN) 2003

That is what we've been hearing in our house! Yes, the countdown has begun and she is beyond excited! Every day she asks the same question ... "can you get me that for my birthday?" She is giddy with excitement for her party this Saturday and is looking forward to Nanny, Poppy, Aunt Niki and Uncle Scottie's arrival from NY for her 'family' party on March 22nd! I, personally, can not believe that my baby is about to be SIX! I truly do not know where the time went so darn fast ... I found this the other day when I was reading through her baby book ...

"Well Mommy "officially" started labor at 12:32 am on March 04, 2002. She woke Daddy up at 1:30 am and told him she felt a little "crampy" and that she was going to take a shower because I was making her back hurt a lot. Well Daddy decided that they should head to Methodist Hospital (that's where it ALL happened) so he woke up Aunt Niki who drove from NY just in time for my arrival. Well once they got to the hospital Mommy was evaluated and then she walked for a while and then re-checked. Well because I didn't help Mommy "progress" they sent us all home with a sleeping pill ... which mommy says was a waste of time. Then at about 10:00 am Mommy woke up again in a lot more pain so she told Daddy to call Dr. Davis. Dr. Davis told Daddy to take Mommy back to the hospital for some pain medication so that is what he did. Then the good news came, I helped Mommy "progress" a little so Dr. Davis ordered Mommy to be admitted. Then all the action started. Mommy was put in a birthing room and was given an epidural to make the pain easier to handle (and boy did it work! We BOTH felt HAPPY) Then around 1:00 pm Dr. Mosher (the residant that helped Dr. Davis pull me out) broke Mommy's water. Then everyone arrived to wait it all out. Aunt Niki came with Uncle Harry and Uncle Scott and of course my cousins Amanda and Zachary; then my Grandma came with Aunt Adrienne (can you believe all these people came to see ME?) Well they had to wait a while because about 12 hours after Mommy's water was broke I decided to come on out and see the World and the room filled with cheers, tears and laughter. Mommy says all the pain was well worth it because I was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen and her heart was bursting with love she'd never felt before!"

To tell you the truth I don't remember the 'physical' part of that day but I do remember the heart bursting love I felt for Jaden the minute I saw and held her for the first time. I remeber the Dr. commenting on how long her legs were - yup, they still are. I remember hearing her cry for the first time and thinking it reminded me of a baby kitten. I remember the smell of her skin and the 'slime' they put on her eyes. I remember the think black hair covering her head. I remember Jason giving her her first bath in the birthing room. I remember her bundled up like a bug in those receiving blankets. I remeber her cuddling up into the crook of my neck. Oh the days when she fit on my shoulder. I remember her first smile, her first giggle, that tongue that always stuck out of her tiny mouth. I remember her crooked grin whenever she saw her dad. I remember her first bath - yeah, she screamed her head off. I remember her sleeping in the pack and play next to our bed - I would sleep with my hand on her back to make sure she was breathing. She has made my life what it is - I don't know what or who I would be without her. She makes me laugh everyday and at the end of the day - when she is fast asleep and we head to bed - I still creep into her room to make sure she's still breathing. I probably always will ... as long as she'll let me. So here's to Jaden ... who in 8 Days will be a 6 year old. Tonight she will head to Target with her OWN birthday money and pick out her OWN toys without having to ask if it costs too much or if I will let her get more than one thing ... she is 'old' enough to spend her own money ... she will always be my baby though ... and for this moment she still says to me ... "I'm still your baby mom!" Happy 6th Birthday Baby!

Love ~ Mommy and Daddy

Love ~ The Clark Family ~ Rebekah, Jason and Jaden TOO!

*(P.S. To Frank ... THANK YOU for the advice on growingcooks.com ... we found some great chef hats that are paper ... the kids will love coloring then and Jaden is very excited! THank you for taking the time out to mention that! You made her party .... )