(This was a tribute Auntie Beth did for Teila on her blog and I totally copied it because it was so beautiful. Thank you Beth!)
Teila has decided to be baptized!
I remember 9.9ish years ago just weeks after they were married Tecia whispered in Eddie's ear at Tantrum and he said..."tell her" and she did.... "I am pregnant!"
I remember being excited and weirded out that 1st of all Eddie was going to be a dad... that was the weird part... and YAY I was going to be an Aunt.
I remember deciding what I wanted to be called... because yes that was seriously important!
I remember Eddie telling me in no way were his children going to call me Auntie (with the "A" sound pronounced like the "a" in Saw...)
I remember it taking me a few months to reconcile my self to the other Auntie ( "A" sound like the "a" in sand)
I remember the anticipation of Tecia and Tegan being due within a week of each other.
I remember shopping... and more shopping.
I remember in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS was Eddie's Daughter going to be named after a HE-MAN character.
I remember the excitement of knowing the birth was any hour.
I remember rushing to the hospital because she was HERE!
I remember her 2 grandmothers sitting side by side outside the room.
I remember asking my mom if she was beautiful.
I remember my mom having something in her voice I couldn't read when she answered me.
I remember seeing her and being surprised that she looked different than I had anticipated.
Now knowing that she looks exactly like her mother... but also that Heavenly Father had a different path for her.
I remember seeing my brother (her father) hold her with a look I couldn't decipher... not of the usual excitement but with a solemn knowing look.
I remember leaving and wondering... wondering... praying that everything was ok.
I remember hours later finding out that Teila our sweet highly anticipated 1st Grandbaby had a 99% probability of carrying an extra chromosome on her 21st chromosome that would label her with DOWN SYNDROME.
I remember the heavy devastating emotions that I carried.
I remember not sleeping... (I who was just the Auntie)
I remember the advice and the questions.
I remember how uniformed I was about trisomy 21.
I remember how little attention I had ever paid a person with Down Syndrome.
I remember the 8lb 4oz baby laying like a large marshmellow next to the 2lb baby in the NICU of Desert Samaritan Hospital.
I remember every little milestone.
Eating enough food so she could come home.
MY mom finding out that she was pregnant... (people with flu like symptoms are NOT allowed in the NICU)
I remember how little she was when she finally came home.
I remember her little jarman aunties full of nerves and anticipation about how she would look.
I remember one little auntie seeing her and in relief commenting... "oh she is just a baby"...
I remember how much fun it was to hold her.
I remember that crazy crazy hair.
I remember how beautiful she was.
I remember how people stopped you to admire her where ever she was.
I remember those pigtails!
I remember her crazy way to crawl.
I remember her first steps and her first teeth.
I remember that she called me Beh... instead of Auntie (that came later)
I remember she loved to wrestle.
I remember she was always dressed to the 9s.
I remember our first pedicure... first trip to build a bear ( I waited sooo long for this one)...shopping... shopping...
I remember haircuts and how Tantrum embraced her.
I remember being accused of favoring her.
I remember last year when she was getting close to turning 8 and thinking she wasn't emotionally ready for baptism.
I remember her 9th birthday that "Only Girls... NO BOYS... were invited to.
I remember last month when Tecia called and told me her little girl wanted to get baptized.
I remember being so happy for her and her family for reaching such milestones.
We are so proud of Teila for wanting to make this covenant .
For knowing that we get baptized because Heavenly Father wants us too.
For knowing that we will be promising to choose the right...to be nice to others and do what our parents ask.
