An important day

She arrived late and huge. Labor was so hard that I passed out between pushes. After Snuggler was finally born I lay in a stupor; the doctor said cautiously to Andrew, "Does your wife always look that color after delivery?"

And then we shared a room with a 17 year old with a 4-pound preemie, and my 9 pound, 2 ounce baby looked like someone had SuperSized her.

She has the most naturally generous heart of any child I know. She loves drama, art, reading and friends. She struggles with organization and pronouncing the letter R. She is affectionate and impassioned, a fabulous writer, and a terrific big sister.

Today she received gouache and paper, poker chips, an animation book and a Starbucks card to mark her first decade. Happy birthday, sweet Snuggler.