Aliyah: part 1

So, tomorrow is my daughter's 9th birthday. I can't believe that I've been a momma for 9 years and that I've had such an amazing baby to be a momma to. I want to write lots of things about this, but it's late so I'll limit it to just a couple of fun things and then I'll write another something tomorrow. Here are some fun facts:

**Aliyah: literal meaning is "highly exalted", inherent meaning is "to return to where you are from" or "to return"... wow... it's so true that her life was what God used to bring me back to Himself

**Her middle name is Grace

**She was born right outside of Philly in a town called Norristown, PA with amazing midwives. The best part was my momma being there and my little sister (only 16 at the time, what a wake up call to what "labor" truly meant. lol)

**She was 19 inches long and just under 6 lbs at birth

**She is smart, funny, beautiful, loving, innocent, trusting, sweet, honest

**She is honestly the kindest thing God could ever have given me

**She has a really cute dimple in her really cute chin

**She is half Puerto Rican and 25% Italian and 25% Irish... perfect mix, if you ask me! :)

**Her number 1 love language is "quality time", with a second very close of "touch"

**She was so, so tiny when she was born that I was scared of taking her home from the hospital... Even though she was tiny, she was perfect and perfectly healthy scoring really high on her apgar

**The only name I had for a girl was Aliyah Grace... and I had no name for a boy even though I didn't know what I was having until I saw her little face... :)

**I really wanted her to be a girl the whole time I was pregnant with her

**the first time she kicked in my belly was during a trip that my mother dragged me to. She came all the way to the city to pick me up and take me to "The Call DC", the first one... and it was during that trip that Aliyah decided to kick for the first time.

**During more then my first trimester of pregnancy, I lost almost 15 lbs due to morning sickness... and I went through lots of meds until I finally called upon the name of God... and He rescued me. I promise, true story... but even if I had thrown up the entire pregnancy, SHE WAS WORTH IT!!!

**Aliyah was seriously one of the happiest and most easy going babies that I have ever met. She was always smiling...

**I nursed Aliyah until she was 27 months old (thanks to the encouragement of my momma)

**I love my baby more than I can describe and am more proud to be her momma than almost anything. I really can't believe God would give me such an incredible gift! Thank you God! Thank you God!