Happy Birthday!

17th Birthday Wishes for Alexa

Today is my daughter Alexa's 17th birthday!  She was the first born and was born 17 years ago at 6:50 pm in Maryland.  She didn't cry for the first 2 weeks...she just mewled like a kitty. She was a great baby...always happy, playful and super smart.  She started sleeping thru the night at 10 weeks but never really liked to go to bed....or nap...oy vey LOL.  She was one that just didn't need a lot of sleep much to her parent's consternation!  She STILL doesn't sleep much but she will go up to bed if she's super tired...but most nights she can be found sneak-reading her Kindle after her 10:30 pm bedtime ;)

My wishes for you my darling daughter:

-be happy in whatever you do
-do things that make YOU happy
-do things to help others be happy
-enjoy life & live it the best you can
-believe in yourself & follow your dreams
-don't let anyone tell you are less than you are
-respect yourself, your family, your world & your future
-find true love, the kind that will last forever
-travel & see the world
-make friends and spend time with them
-don't let anyone hold you back
-laugh, giggle, snort and act goofy everyday
-mind your manners & stay classy
-be strong & self-confident in who you are
-don't ever stop learning or loving
and follow that rainbow wherever it might take you & enjoy the ride!

**NOTE: She may kill me after she sees this post ahahaha...but she knows to expect nuttin' less from her bloggin' momma :)!!!!

One of her first words was "NO"...we shoulda known then she was gonna be a bit of a hell-raiser hee hee!  And from the moment she could talk...she never stopped...still that way today.  She will talk and talk and talk and sometimes I start to tune out....then she'll yell "I know you aren't listening" and she will KEEP TALKING LMBO!  She talks to herself in her room...she talks to her friends via Skype...she texts...she just talks and talks.  She always has something to say!  I remember picking up her and her brother from private school when they were younger and they would FIGHT over who got to talk first...ay yi yi!

She has always loved school and excelled in school.  Her kindergarten teacher told me if she had to run to the bathroom she would leave Alexa in charge....she said "that girl can run the class all day" ahahaha...a born leader!  She is a straight A, AP class taking, serious student with her eye on the future and her goals. She has known since she was 5 that she wanted to work with sea animals, marine biology to be exact.  She's never wavered from that...ever...never.  She has chosen her colleges to apply to based on marine biology.  University of SC is her first and most favored choice.  For her 9th birthday we went to Disney & SeaWorld in Orlando and got to have dinner with Shamu and she got to chat with the trainers.  That really cemented the deal then AND this summer she will intern at SeaWorld as well.  And the story continues.....

She danced ballet for 11 years...she was a natural...beautiful dancer and on pointe early for her age. 

She danced 15 hours a week and then decided that she wanted to do other things.  So she did gymnastics and then cheerleading in high school.  And she has always loved to sing...she's been in chorus since the 3rd grade.  This year she is in the A capella Chorus at the High School.  She has never had a fear of being on stage...having a solo...no fear.  She has so much more self confidence than I did at that age and I'm HAPPY for her.  Being a girl is hard...going thru life as a girl can be hard...you gotta believe in yourself when you think no one else does and be confident in who you are.  I have no worries that she KNOWS who she is and I'm PROUD of who she is!

Her favorite color is blue...aqua to be exact although it should be RAVEN PURPLE.  She's a big sports fan...like the rest of the family of course.  And the Baltimore Ravens are her football team.  She has a teal and white bedroom but there is so much Raven stuff in there I swear we picked the wrong color ;)  She loves the Baltimore Orioles AND the Washington Nationals baseball teams. She loves the Washington Capitals (I think cuz she thinks they are all cute ahahaha).  And her Homecoming dress was purple too this year!

In fact she is such a fan that we are spending her birthday evening in BALTIMORE eating MD crabs *yum* with the Baltimore RAVENS while watching the NFL Draft.  She's super excited to meet her fave Raven Torrey Smith!

 She loves Disney...well I would say obsessed...she would go there everyday if possible.  She possibly thinks she is a Disney Princess...ahem...I think NOT LOL!

Oh and she's obsessed with Harry Potter...she's read the books multiple times, seen the movies multiple times and last summer we were able to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter...she pretty much ran thru the park to get there LOL!

She shares a GREAT LOVE for Luke Bryan and country music in general with her momma (and grandma too)...yeehaw! And we can count a lot of concerts we have traveled miles to see, waited for hours in line and put out some late nights!

Grace, Alexa & Sophia

Grace & Alexa....in 5th grade & today above!

She's had the same BFFs since we moved to Virginia when she was in 5th grade...the Three Musketeers...crazy girls...but good girls! I believe they will all be here AGAIN this weekend ;)

She has an odd & crazy sense of humor...she MAY have gotten some of it (ahem) from her momma...just sayin' and we love to goof around.  Life should be fun...you get one life, live it well I always say!  And I've taught my kids that too!

She's diligent...intelligent...sweet...compassionate...funny...crazy...beautiful...witty...studious...amazing...loving...

competitive...loud...talkative...friendly...STUBBORN...energetic...and just plain wonderful!!

She is my Partner in Crime....hear my hubby groaning...that's right dear there are now TWO of us in this world....WORLD BRACE YOURSELF!!!  We have a lot of fun together....I'm blessed with a daughter who is my heart, my friend, my everything!  She is a fellow Taurean and a bit stubborn like her momma too ;)

She's a Daddy's girl...she will admit it...she knows how to work him and he's been wrapped around her finger since the day she was born!  I'm lucky to have a husband who is involved with the kids (from day 1) and loves to hang out with them...who loves them wholeheartedly period!  He may groan at her girly outbursts, roll his eyes at her "wants" but he loves her more than anything...that makes her a very lucky girl indeed!

I can't quite believe that the pigtailed little girl is going to be 17 and off to college next fall.  My how time flies...you gotta pay attention to every minute, every moment, each hour...because before you know it those babies you brought home are off on their own.

Happy Birthday Alexa.....you couldn't be loved more!!