Happy Birthday Tanner!!

Thirteen years ago today I was given the honor and privilege to be called "Mom" by a 6 lb, 9 oz, 21 inches long, blond hair, blue eyed baby girl.

I remember that first contraction. I remember going home (I lived with my parents at the time) and telling my Mom that I thought this might be it. When we called the Dr. and he advised us to go to the ER, I remember my Mom taking a quick shower because "we might be there awhile!" :) Total labor time, from the first contraction until she came out was 23 hours. Was she worth it? YOU BET!

My "baby" became a teenager today. It seems like just yesterday I had her. I can't believe how the years have flown by! She really is such an incredible kid. She's got such a sweet, sweet, personality and I'm so proud of the young lady she's becoming.

Since Tanner turned the big 1-3 today, I thought I'd share 13 things about her:

1. Tanner loves her Jesus and was baptized on Mother's Day 2002.

2. Tanner has an incredible heart for others. She is always looking for ways to help someone else out.

3. She can make me laugh more than just about any other person. A lot of times she doesn't even mean to or realize what she's said-she's just being Tanner....but the kid can crack me up!

4. Though her age is 13, she's still probably one of the most innocent, naive 13 year olds out there. Some days I worry about her in that respect, other days, I praise God that she's not like a lot of her peers.

5. Tanner used to be pretty outgoing and didn't know a stranger when she was young. Now, the older she gets, the more reserved she is about meeting someone new.

6. She does NOT like to read. Reading has ALWAYS been a struggle for her and she's been diagnosed as "mildly dyslexic" by her pediatrician. Getting that child to read a book is like pulling teeth!

7. Though she doesn't like to read, she LOVES numbers. She LOVES math and the challenge that it presents. She also loves Science and is getting more into Social Studies the older she gets.

8. When Tanner was five or six, she loved to watch "Different Strokes" on the tvland channel. Only she didn't call it "Different Strokes," she called it "The Brown Family!" Still cracks me up to this day!

9. Tanner is an aide in the Special Ed class at school. This is something she chose to do all on her own and in fact, didn't talk to me about it at all, just called me and said "I switched classes." It's so neat though to hear her talk about "her kids" and how much she truly does love those kiddos. She doesn't see them as any different than you and I.

10. She is definitely growing up. Just this week, I asked her what kind of wall calender she wanted for her room this year. Her response? "Anything EXCEPT Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus or High School Musical." I thought she'd like Hannah Montana forever!!

11. Tanner has an incredible relationship with my parents, despite the fact that we live so far away. If something happens, whether it's a good thing (like when she got straight A's) or it's a bad thing (when she gets hurt or is sick), the first thing she wants to do is "call Grandma." I had a fabulous relationship with both my grandparents growing up and I cherish those times to this day. I feel like Tanner is so blessed to have such a great relationship with my parents, despite the miles. And of course, she can call Grandma and Grandpa anytime she wants.

12. The funniest Tanner story I have (although it's kind of embarrassing for me!) is: When she was in first grade, she and I were at a Ladie's Small Group Bible Study that I went to on Monday nights. There were six of us girls that got together for dinner/snacks and the kids played while we did our study. Mind you, this was at our minister's house. The minister's daughter (and Tanner's best friend at the time), came downstairs during the study and said "Ms. Shelly, Tanner said a bad word." Tanner was quickly following Sydney so I asked Tanner what she said. Without so much as cracking a smile or missing a beat, she replied "We were playing Barbies and Barbie told Ken to kiss my ass."
Yep, I wanted to crawl in a hole and hide and yet the only thing we could do was laugh our heads off! Poor Tanner, she wasn't sure what to think-was she in trouble or did she say something funny? She got a talking to and they were sent back upstairs to play while us girls continued to laugh the rest of night. (Truth be told-we were all impressed she used it in the right context!!) (And just for the record-not sure where she picked that up!)

13. Tanner is a pleaser-she wants to please any and everyone (to a certain extent). She doesn't like for people to be mad at her and it really bothers her if she knows she's upset someone. That being said though, she will stand up for what's right even if that means her friends may not like it. She's not afraid to speak her mind, she just doesn't like it if her opinion upsets someone else.


So there ya go-13 things about my Tanner girl. I know I've not always been a good Mom. I know there are days when I take the stress of life out on her. I'm a yeller-and I know there have been times that I've yelled at Tanner when I probably shouldn't have. I've made some decisions in my life that someday I'm going to have to sit down and explain to her and hope that she understands. I've not always been a good example to follow and I hope she learns from my mistakes.

BUT..............................

I love my girl with all my heart and would do anything for her. I thank God every single day for giving me the privilege of being known as "Tanner's Mom." I'm so thankful that Tanner is a happy, healthy, lively 13 year old girl. I hear a lot of people say "I don't want my kids to grow up!" but for me, I'm excited to see where God takes Tanner and how He works in her life. Sure I miss the days when she was a baby, but man, at the same time, she's such a great kid, I can't help but be excited to see what lies ahead for her!

Happy 13th Birthday, Tanner!!!

I love you and am so proud of you!