Can you believe Savana is 15 today!

My baby girl decided she was done hanging out in Mom's safe tummy and presented her willful self to us 2 months early.  The first 4 shots are my most vivid memories of the roller coaster ride that was her first 6 weeks of life.  We call her our "cat with 9 lives"  This period of time took up at least 3 of them. 

  By 6 months we were getting her plumped up and she was slowly losing the "preemie" look.  By then she was eating good and off most of her medications that kept her going from the beginning.

 By the age of one, I knew I was in for quite a time with Miss Savana.  She was the biggest collector of dirt that I had ever seen.  Do any of you remember?  We could give her a bath, she would leave a ring, and still come out with dirt on her face!

 Her facial expressions were often used for Aunt Carol A.'s greeting cards.  She was full of them and always seemed to have one ready for Carol's camera.

 Hands down, my favorite snap shot in the whole world.  She is 4 years old and dressed as Rapunzel for Halloween.  This picture was taken at grandpa Gary and grandma Pats house by the pond....so peaceful and clean!

 Then our girl had another attack on her number of lives..At the age of 5, just before she started Kindergarten, she contracted Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome from some bad hamburger that ended up on the market over that summer.  She turned jaundiced from the liver and kidneys shutting down.  Lots of prayers, hand holding, rocking and trying not to bump her and make her bleed from anywhere.  A parents nightmare.  But she bounced back within a few months, tired but definitely wanting to start Kindergarten.  Resilience I tell you!  A fighter through and through!

 The reason Savana stayed so dirty all the time was that she was an outside, animal loving, fishing, bug catching girl.  I still never know what might end up in her room. She definitely had a spunky attitude and tried my patience regularly.  I have put my foot down on rodents of any kind.  She tells me I am so mean to not let her have a gerbil or something.  NO WAY!

 By 11 to 12 years she was beginning to bloom into the sweet Savana that I know today.  She is so loving and always willing to lend a hand.  She is my best friend on this earth and I am a very lucky mom to be able to say this about my girl....I love every spunky, outspoken, spacey, goofy part of her.
She wins more fishing tournaments than her Dad...Hilarious I tell you!

 Now my young daughter is trying to figure out her passions in life.  She quit band in Jr. High and started choir (LOVES IT)  This year as a freshman she tried out and made the Girl's Glee.

 But then again, she will probably be a tree hugger sort.  Cries every time we butcher for beef, gets upset and weepy with every sad show on TV,  frequently says she thinks she will turn vegetarian but she thinks she might miss bacon too much to last very long....

 All in all, she is the most well rounded, comfortable in her skin, not afraid of anything, trend setting, talented with drama, music, leadership, volunteering, and best of all, She just got her first job on this day, March 12, 2012.  Her 15th birthday.  Love you more than words can say my "Savana Smiles"