Motherhood

When we found out we were going to have a girl, I was elated. At one point, Ryan asked me why I was looking forward to having our baby girl. So, I started thinking about the times I shared with my momma, and got excited to share special moments like that with Coranelle.
Here are a few memories that I shared with my mom that make me excited to have a little girl and become a mom.
I remember that when I was younger, I dreamed of having curly hair. I had locks when I was really little, and wanted them as I got older. Mom had naturally curly hair, and mine was thin and straight. I would go to great lengths to achieve the sought after look. I was hoping for mature, Shirley Temple ringlets. I remember waking up early before school and plugging in the electric rollers up in Mom and Steve's bathroom. Once they were hot, mom and I would take little sections of my hair- with Steve's blue comb, and share the job of rolling the slippery strands of my hair onto the hot, spiny rollers, and then fastening them with the multicolored hair pins. Then, we'd wait while my head was hot and sweating from the heat of the rollers. As I continued on with my morning routine, there would be 20 curlers on top of my head and I looked a bit like a bubble gum machine. Stefan might glance my way and roll his eyes. When it came time to take the rollers out, my hair never looked like I had hoped. We would take out the rollers, one by one and put them back on the metal coils in the box. I didn't get the ringlets, but instead, there was one big, puffy curl- making me look like a clown. But, despite the disappointing hair-do, I treasured those moments with mom, pinning my hair up in those silly curlers. We would stand under the show lights in the master bathroom and just talk and joke around. Sometimes, I would help her try to tame her unruly curls. Sometimes her bangs flip out like fluffy, baby bird wings and we still tease her about it. I always felt honored when she'd ask me to help her pick out her outfit or do her hair for a big outing. I might put her hair up in barrettes or half, french braids. I liked standing on the step-stool and running my fingers through her curls, trying to coerce them into a special hair-do. I would get all of her attention, and I soaked it up.
Maybe one day, Coranelle will do my hair before a party and I will get to spend some special mother, daughter time with her.
Here are some other fun glimpses and experiences that I shared with mom:
-going out to get coffee
-finding fun coffee shops in new towns we visited
-making Boboli pizzas on Friday nights
-going on walks in the winter in Estes Park with 80 mph winds
-taking aerobic classes and laughing at my lack of coordination
-hiking over the Continental Divide with mom, Steve and Patti
-mom coming to track and cross country meets and then taking me home in the audi- with heated seats
-driving down to Longmont a million times for orthodontic appointments and talking the whole way there and back- sometimes we would stop at the caboose coffee shop for hot chocolate
-heading to Notchtop to buy Fat-free muffins
-baking almond crescents and pepperkacka cookies at Christmas time
-swimming laps at the Glenwood hotsprings
-snowshoeing in Glenwood
-practicing driving in the Tracker and having it tip a little too much when I rounded the corner
-talking to mom about girlfriends and crushes
-shopping with mom for dresses to homecoming and prom
-taking trips down to the "valley" with mom to get new clothes
-finding fun consignment stores
-finding mom at most of our middle school dances and talking to her
-sitting at the island counter and doing homework while mom made dinner
-sleeping in Mom and Steve's waterbed on days that I was sick and home from school while mom brought me movies and juice
-going down to Merril Gardens to visit Grandma with Mom
- going to Buckwheats with mom and always getting a special Panda Bar treat
-decorating the Christmas tree and wrapping presents with mom
-watching mom laugh
-writing mom long letters from England every week
-having mom play with my hair and rub my back during church


These are just a few of the memories I have of spending special moments with Mom. They are some of the moments that make me SO excited to have a daughter. I pray that Coranelle and I can be as close as Mom and I are.