My mini "me" ...

Have you ever seen the any of the Austin Powers movies? Maybe this will remind you.

This is Dr. Evil and his Mini Me. The movie could be quoted as being "stupid" but I kind of liked them, I guess. Uh, yeah, moving on.  Ever since Taylor was a baby, most called her my mini me. The fact that she looked so much like me was actually weird to me. That must sound nuts coming from a mother but it's true.  

This is me as a baby. 

This is Taylor at 3 months old. 

When she was a baby, it wasn't quite as easy to see how much she looked like me. Here she is 9 months old.

And here she is 3-4 years old. 

That's my Taylor, the first blood relative I've ever met. I was adopted when I was a baby, if some of you didn't know. So to see my own child grow up to look like me is almost a smack in the face. Like WOW there's a little person that looks  just like me. So as she grew, so many people would make the joking comments, "wow, can't tell she's your daughter" or "she's your little mini me", hence Austin Powers' Dr. Evil's mini me! The mini me part, not the "evil" part!! :) 

When I was young, I would always notice how families "favored" one another.  I could pick out certain traits a child had and find them in their parents. For example, Taylor has her dad's eyes and chin, she has my hair color, totally, my attitude, personality, and my voice sometimes. When she was 4 years old, we could sit side by side and our hair color was almost identical, obviously way before artificial hair color was added to my hair. Did I mention I didn't have gray hair till I got married, and found even more after I had Taylor?  Yes, still moving on ....

Fast forward 11 years since her birth.  My Taylor has grown so much and matured so much in just the last year.  Although we've had trying times, it's all good. She's in that weird, awkward stage of trying to figure out who she is. And wow is it hard! She's in 5th grade and will be starting 6th grade this fall. She'll be moving to the High School building where the Jr. High is 6th through 8th grade. OMGosh, she's going to be in Jr. High! I'm almost freaking at this, but I think she's freaking more.  

Since Aiden came home last March, Taylor has made a major transition. We all have really, but I think she has changed the most.  She had a really hard time in the beginning. She went from being the only grandchild on both sides, to having a sibling and having to share the attention. And let's face it, when there's a new baby in the family, they get all the attention. Let me tell you, she noticed, big time! She went from being the center of attention to being placed second. Mike and I talked to her some before Aiden came home. We tried to talk about the changes our household would make, how family would be, and how some things would change in her life.  

She was so excited to have a little brother. She was so excited when we came home with Aiden. But after a couple of months, that newness wore off and reality set in. Aiden needed a lot of attention, so Taylor wasn't getting her 100 % of mama like before.  I'll just say it was hard, very hard on us all.  I felt like it was hardest on me, but looking back it was the hardest on Taylor. I wanted to balance the attention between them but Aiden needed me ALL the time back then.  Fast forward again ...

Time must have been the deciding factor that helped us all.  Taylor has changed so much in the last year. She takes such good care of Aiden now. He loves her so much and she loves him. I never really thought how much having him home would effect her.  It's kind of funny to me now, when Aiden falls and scratches a knee, gets scared, etc. he'll run to her, just as much as he'll run to me for comfort.  I never thought about that happening, really.  It warms my heart to see that.  She has grown into a little mama, which some told me would happen. I really wasn't thinking that far ahead about that.  I know she didn't understand Aiden's situation when he came home.  I would tell Taylor how everything will be new to him, smells, surroundings, language, time change, absolutely everything.  I know her mind probably couldn't grasp that whole concept, but I think she has a good idea now.  

She has become a wonderful big sister! I really never imagined how she'd be as a big sister. I don't know if I was scared to vision it, or it wouldn't turn out like I planned. Who knows, but I'm liking this so far and I can only see it as getting better and better.  She has taught him so much, never imagined that would happen either, but it has. She's taught him to give hugs, kisses, say his name, how old he is, and who he loves, "Tay Tay" is what he says, and rightly so! :)

I'm so proud of her new transition. She's maturing, which scares the heebie jeebies out of me, but I knew this day would come, just didn't know I'd be so proud of her for it. She has grown so much in the last year, not just physically, but mentally too.  She's kind, considerate, has empathy for others which is such a good quality I believe.  Too many kids today have such a hard time. Parents aren't parenting and it really worries me sometimes. All I can do is teach my own child good from bad, right from wrong and hope for the best. She already has a mind set to make a difference in this world, I hope she can do it. This world needs more ambitious kids to want to make a change, don't you agree?