Did I really have a baby once?

I got the call yesterday, "Mom, we're making the rounds and I wanted to let you know that we're coming over." Well, I had never heard her say that before, but I knew exactly why she was coming over. She was going to give me the news. She's only 21 years old, but I was only 18 when I had such news... so what could I say?

I was 19 when I had my daughter Dana. I remember expecting her, giving birth to her, and taking care of her. But to think back of her as a baby, it seems like a whole other lifetime ago. From the day Dana was born, she was so good. Seriously, she was rarely even sick. While she had the occasional cold, I can only remember one time her really crying because she couldn't hold anything down in her tummy. She slept through the night at six weeks old. She went off the bottle easily at one year old. She potty-trained extremely easy at a year and a half. She was simply the easiest baby. Even when she got the chicken pox at two years old, it barely even phased her. (I, on the other hand, got the chicken pox from her and I think that was the sickest I have ever been!)

Into the school years, and all her years growing up, Dana was simply the easiest child. I couldn't even imagine having a better child. She's the sweetest, the nicest, the smartest, and now today, one of the coolest people I know. I not only love her as a daughter, but I love the person she is. She's just so likeable, and I am extremely proud of the woman she has become.

So being the person who Dana is, it only makes sense that she would find her perfect match.

In the summer of 2006, when Dana met David, I just knew they would be together. There's no easy way to explain it, but it's just as if they were made for each other. They were instantly joined at the hip, and these days it's hard to imagine the time when she wasn't with him. If I wasn't blessed enough before to have such a wonderful daughter, I am even more blessed today that she's found such a great guy. Honestly, David is simply the best for Dana. He is so smart, responsible, and very loving towards her. And I have absolutely no doubt that he will continue making her very happy.

So the news--the news that they are engaged, is perfectly good news to me.

However, since my world revolves around me (ha-ha!), I must say that even though I am happy about my daughter's engagement, I feel like I've aged about 7 years in one day. Not really. I don't feel older, like old (actually I feel great these days). But I feel like I've just jumped into a whole new phase of life. I'm not even sure why. After all, the wedding will not happen for awhile. And thank God, they are not planning on kids for a few years after that! But really, how did this day even come so fast? Did I really have a baby once? Did I really take her to kindergarden... go on all those field trips... watch her in the band in Junior High School... teach her how to drive... see her graduate High School... then let her go when she moved out last year? How did all that happen soooo fast?

I know, there's so much more to come, and so much more life to look forward to with my daughter. I'm good. But, hopefully the next 21 years won't go as fast as the last. Every day is such a gift... a gift to cherish... and a gift to be grateful for. And I am definitely extremely grateful for every day since I had my baby.

Congratulations, my dear sweet Dana and her very deserving David!