Tribute to Annica!

I became a mother 23 years ago with the birth of my precious daughter, Annica. This daughter has brought much joy to her parents. In keeping with my tradition of posting fun facts on my childrens' birthdays, here is a list about Annica.

1. She walked and talked at a very young age and was a very precocious child.
2. Her pediatrician accurately predicted that Annica would be a very persistent girl.
3. Annica never drew "stick" figures. She demonstrated her artistic talent very early in her life. Once she drew a picture of a girl getting a haircut--the girl had a mini pair of scissors on each hair strand.
4. Annica was very obsessive-compulsive about her clothing--especially her pants, underwear and socks. The pants and underwear had to be skin-tight, and when they'd become a little loose during the day, she would change them. The seam of her socks had to run across the top of her toes.
5. We enrolled Annica in 3 book clubs when she was a tiny baby. She would sit mesmerized for hours while we read book after book to her. She memorized many books cover-to-cover.
6. Vegetables and fruit were her foods of choice. She didn't much care for meat.
7. Eczema has plagued her much of her life. We thought she had many food allergies, and for months we eliminated corn, milk and wheat from her diet. Her skin showed no improvement, and allergy testing revealed no food allergies.
8. We nicknamed her "Annie BooBah" because she always said "boobah" when she was a baby.
9. She loved to watch the salmon swim in Issaquah Creek. We'd walk to the creek every day during spawning season.
10. Annica loved to make up lesson plans. She planned to run a summer school at our house when she was 8 years old.
11. The only team sports she played as a child were baseball and softball. She also had dance lessons.
12. She awoke every 2 hours during the night from the time she was born until she was 18 months old.
13. Annica was a master of pulling funny faces.
14. One of her favorite childhood activities was feeding ducks.
15. A goal she set for herself was to "not go through labor giving birth." So far, she hasn't given birth, so we'll see if she accomplishes that goal.
16. Disneyland is one of her favorite vacation spots.
17. She knows how to install a toilet.
18. She excelled in Physics in high school.
19. She is very employable and has been hired for almost every job she's applied for.
20. The medical field is where she works and wants to continue working.
21. She would rather make messes than clean them up.
22. She had an emergency tonsillectomy when she was 20.
23. She is married to a great guy and they have a happy marriage!

I love my Annica and am very grateful to be her mother!!!