Celebrating Whitney...

Twenty-seven years ago today, Whitney was born into our family.
At this moment there is nothing I want more than to put my arms around my girl and tell her happy birthday. Sometimes being six thousand miles away really stinks.

I wish I had my pictures here in Brasil, but since they are all sitting in a box in Nevada, mere words will have to do. These are just highlights, and by no means a complete list of my favorite Whitney moments.

She was the most perfect and beautiful baby I have ever seen. Seriously.

I loved how she looked in the morning, standing up in her little white nightgown, one hand holding her bottle and one hanging on to her crib.

and the way she used to crawl in her Sunday dresses, feet and hands only-- she hated the feel of the carpet on her knees!

and the way she stretched her arms out and clenched her fists whenever she was happy or excited. If you look at her wedding pictures you will see her doing that very thing as she comes out of the temple doors with Brad.

**about age 2: standing in the corner with Stuart (she didn't want him to be lonely)

**teasing Dad by running to sit in his chair if he left it for any reason

**telling me I was her best friend when she was three

**"going to school" (almost 4) with her backpack and ballet clothes on

**carrying her Cabbage Patch doll (Amanda) by one foot. When I protested that she would hurt her baby if she let it drag on the ground like that, she responded, "Mom, it's a doll."

**telling my obgyn (who had just said the baby's heartbeat sounded like a boy) that's not a boy, that's my sister Kristen!

There are a million more -- and someday I will write them all down! --but I hope it shows what we all knew from the very first: there is only one Whitney, and we celebrate the day she was born into our family.

Happy Birthday, Whitney! Ours is a better and happier family because you are in it.