Sunday, April 11, 2010

Kassie is 16!

My little sister is 16 today. It feels like she's been with us forever, but at the same time I can't believe she's already this old.

I was 14 when she was born, and so embarrassed that my mother, at the age of 34, was having a baby. Standing outside Orchard Mesa Middle School on April 12, 1994, I nonchalantly told my fellow eighth-grade friends that, "Oh yea, my mom had that kid last night."

I know....what a brat I was.

Kassie had about as rough a start in life as any baby could. She'd tossed and turned so much the placenta had torn away, and after an emergency C-section, she was born dead. The doctor knew he had to keep working on her, and by some miracle, she's here today after starting life without oxygen for 10+ minutes.

She has Cerebral Palsy and thus some physical and developmental delays. But, she's well aware of what's going on and sometimes her observations are funny and insightful. Like the time she noticed an Andrus truck next her and my mom at a stoplight. "Why is that guy driving Sam's truck?" she wanted to know. Or, like her birthday party today that she demanded be a surprise, complete with explicit instructions to my mom about where she would go and how she would enter the house.

I love my Sissy and yes, I'm glad now that my mom had "that kid."































6 comments:

Jeana said...

So crazy! I remember college when our little sisters were still so small... Meagan just turned 15! Your little guys are so cute!

Kara said...

Wow, time goes by so fast! I do remember how little she was when we started at Dixie too! Can't believe I've known you for that long Jack!

Nancy Nina said...

Yes, how dare your mother bear a child at that age! Oh, if only Jameson knew that I am 36...

Happy Birthday Kassie!

Unknown said...

When JoAnn was ready to have Nancy Nina, she was getting her hair colored so Nancy wouldn't think she had been born to her grandmother.
Happy Birthday, Kassie....we love you!
Aunt Kathleen

Jason and Allison said...

Hey what the hell? Where is a special post dedicated to me on my birthday?!

P.S.-- I remember what I was gunna ask now: Do you think Locke will have a miraculous experience after getting run over by Desmond and be able to walk again like he did after the plane crash on the island? Just a thought. . . .

The Holland Family said...

I'm gonna laugh when you have the immaculate conception at age 40 or something. Love that Kassie girl. Happy Birthday to her. Crazy that she is 16. That means that Maddie is on her way there. AAAGGHH!!