Just put "Pooter" on a Plane

My baby is gone. I watched her get on a plane this morning and take off in a big, clear, blue sky headed "home". Annie is spending the next 7 days in Birmingham, AL with family and friends. I say she is headed home because her heart will always be in AL where she started school, made her first best friends, and started a very special, successful life.

Who would have thought 13 years ago that the tiny little, bawling baby would have grown into one of the most interesting, intelligent, beautiful young women I have ever met?

And now she is on her "own" for the next week. I can only imagine she enjoyed her alone time on the plane reading and listening to her music. She was loaded up with gum, candy, and her fav bque chips! I teared up in the airport as she was waiting to board and she looked over at me and smiled her most genuine smile saying "I'll be fine, Mom. I'm excited!". It's not her I was worried about. I quickly wiped my tears and gave her a hug that lasted a minute too long for her. She slept in our room on the floor the night she left, starting out in our bed. The 3 of us laid in bed talking about all the fun she would have and all our memories of the friends she would be seeing. I wish I was going with her!

For the next 7 days, "Pooter" will stay up as late as she wants, meet with "old" friends, giggle, swim, probably talk about boys, hopefully not giving me a second thought. I know Cam asked her to keep her cell with her and call us every night. He did that for my sake! This growing up thing is hard and I wish I could slow it down, but it's here and we'll meet it head on.

I'm a mom and I'll always be her mom even if she's 1200 miles away. I miss her already and the house seems a little quieter without her. I'll try not to worry and think of this as preparation for when she heads to college in 5 years. I can't think of that now. I'll just take the next week one day at a time.