Thirty-eight years ago today, I gave birth to a baby girl at Pease AFB in Portsmouth, NH. It wasn’t an easy delivery or labor and there were moments she stopped breathing. It gave her dad and me a scare but our baby girl was determined; with the help of forceps, she made her debut. We choose the name Jamie based on the character played by Lindsay Wagner in the television show Bionic Woman.

Happy Birthday, daughter, here are 38 things I love about you; one for every year.

1: Your beautiful smile
2: The way you twirl your hair when you’re tired
3: Your love for that giant blanket that is tattered and torn. It looks like a blanket your dog uses.
4: The sticky note on my fridge with a running tab of how much you owe me
5: You finished your Master’s degree while pregnant with your third child
6: The parking tickets at college that just appeared on your tuition bill
7: Incredible work ethic
8: Ability to look at both sides of a story
9: Giving up is not in your vocabulary
10: When life sucks, you call mom
11: You choose me as a friend
12: The 3 grandkids you gifted me
13: Our appointment with Dr. Joseph, you were a God-send
14: Your beautiful eyes
15: The compassion and commitment you show as a school principal
16: Your passion to mentor others
17: The indiscreet way you borrow things from me and then claim ownership.
18: Your demonstration of sportsmanship in both high school and college
19: You still love naps, just like your mommy
20: WYSIWYG= what you see is what you get
21: After all my mistakes, you still love me
22: You have no problems using my Kohl’s cash
23: You respect and love your grandparents
24: Family is top priority
25: Your obsession with Pinterest
26: The lifelong high school and college friendships you continue to nourish
27: Your philosophy of ‘what’s yours is mine’
28: Watching Lifetime movies on the couch when you stop over for a visit
29: As a child, you asked to go to bed at 8 PM, just like your son Fischer
30: The collection of roly-poly’s and worms hidden in a shoe box under your bed (age 6)
31: You look good in everything you wear
32: You reserve judgment until you have all the facts
33: Your willingness to honestly tell me your opinion when asked
34: Your love for Jesus
35: The way you embrace your step-parents
36: You married your high school/middle school sweetheart, Matthew, the love of your life
37: Our morning conversations on your drive to work
38: Your idea of a homemade dish has directions on the box