My beautiful daughter!

My beautiful daughter turned 18 yesterday!  A day mixed with sadness and happiness.  She is an adult now.  And that means my baby girl is no more.  But I do know, that no matter how big my little girl gets...sometimes she still just needs me.

For those of you new to my blog, Alexys is actually my step-daughter.  I came into her life right before her 7th birthday and have been a constant ever since.  She gave me my first taste of motherhood.  She also let me know the love between a Mother and a Daughter.  She was my first.  I've always told her, she was my first child. 

It has always been important to me from the beginning that Alexys was treated the same as my boys.  If anything, I'm more over protective of her then them sometimes.  This became more so when she moved in with us a year ago.  She began introducing me to her friends as "her mom".  Now, in the world of step-momhood....that is the ULTIMATE compliment.  I've always said that I have 3 kids, her and my two boys that I gave birth to.  People often say I don't look old enough to have an 18 year old, I don't even correct them.  I just smile and say thank you.

My baby girl has given me so much more then she will ever know.  I hope she knows each and every day just how much I love her.  Without her there would be a void in my life.

I love you baby girl!  Hope you had a wonderful birthday!