November 20th

Dates.  I've always been pretty good at remembering dates.  I can remember the day I started my first job over 20 years ago, the day I passed my driver's test and received my license, and of course I remember special occasions like birthdays and such.  Most of these dates bring with them happy memories with only a few sad memory dates...November 20th will forever be a bittersweet memory date.  Only 4 years ago, I didn't think too much of November 20th...it was a pretty typical Tuesday.  Fast forward one year and November 20th became a very sad date for our family as we lost our sister, Penelope Josephine.  I began to hate this date and for 2 years didn't much care for the holiday season as they were too close to this date and memory for me.

Sisters

Pene acting like Pene...loved that girl's humor



Then came the fall of 2010.  For 2 months, I had been sick and we couldn't figure out why.  Nothing seemed to cure me and on November 20th, we found out why: I was expecting my greatest gift of my lifetime...after years of being told I may likely never be able to get pregnant, we learned that Sophia Josephine was on her way.  Although I still greatly missed my sister and will always remember the day she left us, I was so excited to hear this news that I decided November 20th will be remembered as a day of celebrating life.  Celebrating my sister's short life and how she impacted my life and also a celebration of my future baby's life.

November 20th of this year marks Sophia's 4-month birthday.  I know, not the great 1-year-milestone just yet; but a milestone all the same.  She has already blessed our lives more than I'm sure we even realize.  She is such a happy baby and is surely in love with her family (especially those big brothers).  Her whole face lights up when her brothers come home from school and then again as soon as Daddy walks through the door.  She has been a gift to me in more ways than one and has filled holes in my heart that I thought could never be filled...and for that I celebrate November 20th.