and the celebrations continue.....

August 11, 1984 was one of the most memorable days of my life...

I was (almost) 9 months pregnant, I had spent the summer by a pool wearing a red and white striped bathing suite so I showed up at the hospital with a (what looked like a watermelon) striped belly. I didn't know what I was having, but I already had 3 boys...I was afraid to dream of having a girl. A friend of mine was working in labor and delivery that early morning, but would be getting off her shift soon. She checked me, informed me that I was indeed in labor and should stay - and then instead of heading home to be with her 4 boys...she stuck around to see me through my delivery. I wasn't quite sure why...I thought she was just being nice.

Dr. Nanni came in later and checked me...and as soon as he did...he looks up and says, "Do you want to know what it is?" Confused...I asked him how could he tell me now? He went on to inform me that my baby turned and is now breach and so he could tell what it is. I'm one of those very few that didn't ever want to know in advance what the sex of my baby was. I love surprises...and getting that BIG surprise after the hard work of labor was kind of my reward to myself (I know...go a head and say it). So...I told him "no...don't tell me"! "Wait a minute...breach...does that mean I have to have a C-Section?" Not this well prepared mother who had already given birth 3 times in less than 5 years. With the help of a couple nurses standing on stools on either side of me - pushing down on my stomach...Dr. Nanni reached inside of me...he was able to pull my baby girl out....butt first. It's a girl...it's a girl...it's a girl. I got what I was afraid to dream of!!!

That dream state from having a girl has continued now for 24 years. Rhyannon Joy Rodriguez is hands down the best and easiest child ever born. She was content, she never cried and always well behaved. As she grew I never had to worry about her behavior in school, she always did her work to the best of her ability and it showed...she always got great grades. She took piano lessons, then violin and then finally stuck with the cello. She played soccer, water polo, was in the Chaffey orchestra and took the metro link to LA on Saturdays to participate in the Cal St LA youth symphony. She was awarded the Mills Mall high school scholarship and played Janet in Greece. I'll never forget the day I got a call from Rhyannon while I was at work telling me that she was accepted to UCLA (just to name a few of her accomplishments).

I was a bit worried about her leaving home...although she was very capable and involved, Rhyannon was rather shy when it came to everyday, regular things like going in to a store on her own or even getting on the phone and ordering pizza. But I got her all moved in to her dorm and she never looked back.

She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Music History in 4 short years and did it all on her own,debt free. She's always had a passion for music (we all love music, but she's passionate). Her focus is not in performing it, but studying it and writing about it. She has proven her talent over and over again as she has been published many times (google her name...also check out rj rodriguez-lewis). And boy has she grown in other ways...she's moved to far away places with out a place to live or a job to support her self and with in days, has her life in order.

Rhyannon fell in love with an Englishman a couple years ago (they met while she was visiting a friend who was studying a broad). After going through the agony of a long distance relationship, she decided to change her '06 holiday visit to Oxford to an indefinite stay. They married in an intimate ceremony 6 months later in an Oxford court house on May 30th, 2007. I was sooo lucky to be there to witness it.

Now here we are in August of '08 and Rhyannon is back in the states, but on the east coast. She is in New York where she is waiting for her Masters program to start at NYU. Rob is still in Oxford finishing out his obligations and if all goes well, will join her in October.

Being Rhyannon's mother has been nothing short of a priviledge. She lives up to her name...she has brought me nothing but "joy" for 24 years. And because she has always been so easy...I owe her a HUGE apology. I'm guilty of taking advantage of the fact that she was always so unproblematic. I took for granted that she was always okay because she made wise choices. Don't get me wrong, I worry...as you all know I'm a worrier, but I worried less about her, because she is who she is.

Rhyannon...I don't ever want you to interpret my lack of worry over you as thinking less about you than I do your brothers and sisters....because NOTHING could be further from the truth. You are constantly on my mind. Your well being, your health and your happiness is my priority. I love you more than you will ever know and I don't ever want you to go a minute with out understanding that. I'm so, so very proud of you and I am grateful every day that I was given the opportunity to be called your mother!

Happy Birthday my beautiful girl! XOXOX~ma