I promised a special post and today is the day!

Yesterday was my sweet Katie’s 32^nd birthday! Yep…I have a 32-year-old. Now I know some of you have kids older than that but gosh…having a daughter in her 30s is sometimes hard for me to believe…gray hair and all!

I say it all the time, and even said it yesterday, but being Katie’s mom is my greatest accomplishment. From the minute I found out I was pregnant; I couldn’t wait to have a baby! Now, that wasn’t always the case, but once the decision was made, it was the best! Morning sickness and exhaustion were my badges of honor as I worked through my nine months. 

There is no describing the love of a mother and a child. Birth Mom or Adopted Mom or Second Mom are all included in that statement!  I mean you are sure that you will love this baby/child, but it is a love like no other. People told me that, but I didn’t believe it until it happened to me. Katie was my greatest accomplishment…hands down!

We had a great life! With an only child, my focus was on everything Katie. I’m sure she can tell you the times that she was annoyed that I was the driver for every activity she attended and especially for the girl scout outings…EVERYTIME! But she’ll also tell you about the time on one of these outings where she nearly wet her pants as a turkey flew over my head as we picnicked at Sunrock Farm. I’ll share that story some time later!! 

I’m sure she won’t remember my heartbreak when she pushed me away as she decided walking into school with your Mom was for babies, as she walked down the hall with her Barney backpack. I was a puddle of tears for the whole three and a half hours she was in Kindergarten that day.

It’s possible she may have forgotten the 8^th grade theater party held at our new house.  The 8^th grade class from All Saints was a little more “advanced” in the social skills than I would like to think about the typical 8^th grader. Suffice to say parents had no problem dropping off their kids, with strangers, but it was a challenge to corral them when they were hiding in the bushes, making out! Greg and I were not enough manpower for this party. Katie had been excited to have them come over but she knew they were doing things she was not supposed to be doing. I’m sure there was a little angst as the party ended and we “de-briefed.” Of course, we had a talk but I’m sure she was pleasantly surprised that there were no consequences for her.

She’ll surely remember her freshman year at Mt. Notre Dame, when her mother had to make a presentation at an all-school assembly. I was called up and when I got to the microphone, I proudly introduced myself as “Lisa Houser, mother of the cutest freshman in the room!” The assembled crowd of teenage girls collectively went “AWWWWWWWWW” as only a large group of girls could do, with the exception of one freshman who was a bright shade of red! 

I proudly attended all of her shows, through high school and even in college and during summer theater in Maine. Greg and I were always beaming with pride. Soon, our son-in-law Anthony entered the picture and very slowly, our relationship began to change. 

We stayed close, but it was different. It was bittersweet. I realized that my days as the Mom she needed for so much, were transforming to becoming the Mom she would share her life’s experiences as well as her emotions. 

Planning a wedding can be stressful but for us, it was the culmination of so many conversations and wedding show marathons on TLC, it was so much fun. As I watched her walk down the aisle, I realized my “job” was done. At least, the basic Mom skills had been completed. 

We’ve now moved to a different place, with my buddy Gabriel becoming our common bond. I share stories with her about when she was little. I tell her about my fears and my strict Mom status. But honestly, I think she knows. 

She remembers how much we did to give her the best childhood experiences. As she wrote in a letter to me shortly after we told her our news of divorce, “You have given me the wings to fly, so I know you have them, they just might be a little dusty.” 

Yes, we did give her the wings to fly and fly she did!  Thirty-two years old still seems like a baby to me, but yesterday, I celebrated my greatest accomplishment!  I know that finally, she knows how I felt when I looked at her sweet face for the first time!  I love you Katie Lou!