Rebecca is our 2nd born, two minutes younger than her twin sister, and labeled "Baby B" by doctors before she was born. When I would have ultrasounds before the girls were born, we often would see Becca kicking or hitting her sister, with Sarah's arms up in a defensive position. Becca also moved a lot more than Sarah in the womb. I'll never forget the first time I saw her - she was SCREAMING at the top of her little 5 lb. 2 oz. lungs, with her mouth wide open, and even though she was born 4 weeks early, she had a head FULL of black hair. She was adorable.
Becca never liked to be rocked - she just wanted to be left alone and put in her bed, or she loved being put in the swing. She always liked "action," and when she got big enough for the Johnny Jump-Up, her favorite thing was to hang from the nearest door frame, and jump, jump, jump! She loved for her daddy to throw her around, and that turned out badly one evening when some rough-housing on the bed landed her on the floor, and she hit a metal a/c return on the way down, cutting her forehead open. That was our first trip to the ER. Several months later, she fell out of the back of the wagon, bruising her head and breaking her front tooth, which soon fell out. She was only two, so she was snaggle-toothed for quite a few years longer than most children!
Becca didn't like change, and anything new upset her. So, for the first few years of her formal education, our first day of school separation was very painful. And I'm quite sure it was much more painful for ME than it was for her! She usually did well if she could be with Sarah, and their first year of camp, I don't think we would've kept Rebecca out of our car heading home if Sarah hadn't been there.
In her early years, Becca seemed unhappy a lot of the time - we lovingly referred to her as "Little Miss Grumpet". She was easily frustrated, and cried a lot over very minor things. I would worry about this, feel concern over what I was doing wrong, and wonder what it would mean for her later in life - if she was like this at 2, what kind of emotional battles would we have when she was 15? I tried to do everything I could to make her feel more content - I even made her a "happy chart" that she could put a sticker on if she went all day being happy! I was desperate! I mentioned this to her doctor one time, and the doctor told me I shouldn't worry - that she was just tender-hearted, and she would learn to control that and channel it in a positive way. Fortunately, the doctor was right.
All of the worries I had about Becca in her early years were thankfully not played out in our lives - those visions I had of teenaged battles never materialized. Quite the opposite - she matured and developed her God-given traits to make her into the loving, caring, thoughtful young lady she is today, with a tender heart toward God and others. I could give many examples, but the best one I can think of that embodies who Becca is occurred when she was in fifth grade. I went to the school for something one day, and her teacher told me how proud she was of Becca - there was a new little girl in the class across the hall who had severe physical impairments, and was confined to a wheelchair. The teacher told me that at recess, while all of the other kids ran immediately to play on the equipment, Becca always stayed behind to play with Jessica. Because of this, Becca and Jessica formed a close friendship that continues to this day. Several months after meeting Jessica, Becca asked if she could have her over to spend the night - I was initially a little uneasy about that, but Becca wasn't at all. When Jessica's mother brought her over that first time, she told me with tears in her eyes how much she appreciated Becca's friendship for Jessica - she said it was the first time anyone had ever invited her to come over and spend the night. That is my Becca - - she's never looked at the outside, but has a unique gift for seeing the heart, and for intuitively knowing and responding to the needs of others. What a gift, and what a life lesson for this mom!
Becca has now grown into a beautiful, godly, sensitive, caring, artistic, and fun-loving young lady who will graduate from Texas A&M in May with a degree in Community Health. She wants to use that degree to be an advocate for children in a medical setting, and she will do well at that. She, too, has had heartbreak in her life, but she has worked through that and - in true Becca nature - used that experience to help others. She loves deeply, and is always touched by the hurts of others in such a way as to respond - that is a wonderful thing. Her love for God is evident in all she does, which warms my heart. How blessed I am to be HER mother, and I am humbled by that role. When the girls were little, lots of people used to say, "double trouble," but I have never felt that way - quite the opposite - double blessing! And just as I love Sarah in a deep and unique way, Becca also has her own very special place overflowing with love in my heart. I can't imagine life without my sweet Becca, and I thank God for the privilege that is mine to call her my daughter.
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