Happy Birthday, Kayla

Today is February 27th. Today my 2nd born turns 16. I know that everyone thinks that their kid is special. Everyone thinks that their kid is wonderful, and one of a kind. I don't think so. I know so.

Kayla was born in 1991, a little more than a year after the loss of my son. Unlike her sister 3 years earlier, Kayla was not a surprise. We planned for her. I didn't even wait the 3 months that the doctor suggested that we wait. I couldn't. I knew that this amazing little person was just around the corner.
I was 21, and stuck in a bad marriage. I thought that a new baby, a son would help. I wasn't expecting Kayla to save our relationship. I thought that Rudi would realize how much he loved his little family and straighten up. I was wrong.
I was sure that Kayla would be a boy. So sure, in fact, that I bought everything in blue and green. The walls of the nursery were painted blue, the curtains were blue, the blankets, sleepers, and stuffed toys were all blue. I even bought a blue crib. About a week before she was born, I had an epiphany. The baby that I was carrying, the child that I was already calling Kyle, was a girl.
Rudi hit the roof when I told him. He must've thought that it was some conspiracy to drive him crazy. It wasn't. It was just a wonderful side effect.
Kayla slept through the night for the 1st time when she was 3 weeks old. I thought that those first 3 weeks were the longest of my life. I had to run the vacuum at all hours to calm her. The neighbours must've thought that I was crazy.
I was.

Crazy for the brown haired, wide eyed little girl that was the spitting image of me. Friends called her Midget Bridget. She really was. She had my attitude and my looks. Poor kid.
When we baptized Kayla, we gave her 2 sets of God parents. I knew that a kid like Kayla needed special spiritual guidance that Rudi's sister could never provide. Rudi's sister and husband were God parents out of guilt. Heidi and Jethro were made God parents out of love, and it is a decision that I have never regretted.
Kayla was always the brave one. I remember a 3 year old Kayla heading out the door to fight an 8 year old bully that had smacked KC around. Kayla was having none of that. She rolled up her sleeves and snuck out the back door while I was cleaning KC's cuts. My 3 year old Kayla sent the 8 year old bully home in tears.
Once, when she was 4, she caught a chipmunk. With her bare hands. That's how we learned that chipmunks don't carry rabies.
When she was in grade 7, she got a one day suspension from school because she kicked her shoe off at a girl. She was pissed because the shoe missed the other girl by a mile, but she still got suspended. She truly felt that if she had to do the time, she should get to REALLY do the crime. She wanted a re do.
I sent her to Shawn's parents for the day, because I was still in school. His parents were supposed to make her work in the garden and teach her a lesson about respecting her fellow classmates.
Grandpa took her fishing and then out for ice cream.

That'll teach her.
I guess that you could say that she mellowed in her old age. She will walk away from a fight- unless someone is threatening her little sister. Kayla took down a 200 lb girl because the girl threw a punch at J. Kayla told me that she just twisted the girls arm until she screamed and promised to leave J alone. It was about the same time that she heard a snap. Kayla weighs about 95 lbs soaking wet. This girl, a bully that had been bothering Kayla for months, crosses the street now when she sees Kayla. I don't condone or approve of violence, but sometimes you have to stand up for your self.
Kayla will stand up to God Himself. Then she will tell Him why He is wrong and she is right.
Those that know us well, Kayla and I, say that we are 2 peas in a pod.
I couldn't agree more.
And, I couldn't be more proud.
Happy Birthday, Kayla.