in honor of Amanda James Gant, age six

Six years ago today a beautiful little chubby red headed baby was born in Habersham County, Georgia… the second baby girl born into our family since me…
And around that same time I started blogging. I think my first entry was talking about Jamie’s birth and the emergency surgery her mommy had right afterwards.
After so many years of Gant family births being blue ribbon celebrations only… there was Michael, Bryan, David, Ryan, Cody, Austin, Cory, Matthew… then finally, Sarabeth… then another baby boy, my nephew Caleb and then our Jamie-doll. You can see why we would be excited about a pink event! Only two out of 11 at that time had been girl births! We have two beautiful ladies who joined our family by marriage… Tiffany and Elizabeth… but to have that “it’s a girl!” moment is priceless.
And Jamie has lived up to all our girly hopes and dreams.
She loves lip gloss and jewelry and dolls and pretty clothes.
Jamie loves flowers (her birthday party this year is a flower theme) and ladybugs (last year’s theme) and butterflies (the year before that).
She is a zhuzhu pet and Barbie connoisseur.
She sings and dances and skips and twirls.
She makes the most amazing, astute observations that crack us all up…
Like the time she was singing the days of the week to her daddy and stopped and said, “HEY! It’s like a circle isn’t it, daddy?” And he said, “more than you know, honey”.
Or the time she told me I could find another husband… like Cinderella’s daddy.
Or the time she was putting on a puppet show and peeked out behind the curtain to shush me when I was chatting and not paying attention.
Or the time she saw that someone had written “I love Cody” on the bathroom wall at La Cabana and she laughed and said, “I like Cody but I LOVE Auggie”.
Did I mention that she can read? ANYTHING she wants to read?
I never pass up a chance to walk with her down their “bumpity bump road” and pick flowers or berries or watch for bunnies.
Pushing her on the swing never gets old.
She is reluctant to try new foods and always wants to know if it’s good for you.
She loves riding in the backseat of my car with the windows down, wind in her face, wearing my sunglasses that are way too big for her.
She loves for me to set the Garmin on the “scary voice”… Dr. Nightmare… and cackles like a mad hen at the scary things he says.
She knows how to prepare fresh green beans.
She loves playing “order up-er” (waitress)
She doesn’t like the “hot gum” so I have to keep “sweet gum” in my purse for her.
She is a cuddle bug and will climb up into your lap still. I hope she always will.
She loves my earrings and always puts my hair behind my ears so you can see them.
During the Christmas Eve service she held my hand.
She is outgoing and bold and bright and beautiful.
She is a second-born child in a family of first borns… and she is… just slightly different from the rest of her family… a little less of that first born over-achiever syndrome.
For her… it just all happens naturally. Like me.
She is so much like me and her and Sarabeth’s interactions remind me so much of me and Jim at times that it’s eerie.
She’s more outspoken than her sister. She is a caregiver. She loves being with people.
I was there when she scored her first soccer goal and when she asked Jesus into her heart.
I’ve been to her preschool programs. I’ve seen her sing in church. I know her little friends and a lot of them call me “aunt Heather” as well.
She has tiny strands of tinsel sewn into her hair at the beauty shop… I refer to it as her “sparkle weave”.
She is one of my reasons for getting out of bed every day… she makes me want to be a better person so I can be a better example for her… she brings inexplicable amounts of joy into my life… she is my treasure… my love.Happy Sixth Birthday Miss Amanda James!