Sydney Carlisle Salters Magee

31 years ago tonight I became a mother. Sydney Carlisle finally arrived a little after 8pm after a LONG hard day of labor. It was worth every second of the pain!! I always knew that God had intended for me to be a mother and I was ready for that little bundle of joy when they placed her in my arms, but I wasn't ready for the instant, unconditional love that consumed me that I knew at that moment would last my entire life time. Sydney was our "only" child for 27 months and we ooowed and aaahhhed over her every move. She was a handful from the very beginning, being my only child to have colic! We had a period of unbelievable crying every night from 9pm until 2am from the time she was 1 week old until she was 3 months old. She then was a perfect sleeper from 3 to 6 months when she decided she did not want to sleep at all! By the time she was a little over one she was sleeping in a big girl bed, but not by herself. Every night from then on I would lay down with her laying on top of me until she went to sleep. Then I would gently slide her down in the bed and I would get up and go to my bed... this went on until she was 6 when she finally decided she was a "big girl." The years went by and our first baby girl grew into a teenager in what seemed like over night! Sydney continue the tradition in our family of being not only the first born, but the one to inherit her mother's, grandmother's and great grandmother's strong will! That made for some interesting times in our household! However, the joy that she brought to our family far outweighed those times! We have seen such evidence of God's hand on our Syd's life. He has used her to safe Sarah's life in the ocean one summer. He saved her life by using the Holy Spirit to literally wake her up and tell her to put her seat belt on minutes before a horrible wreck the week after she graduated from high school. Then on March 30, 1998 my baby became a mother herself and in the process made me a grandmother! The next couple of years were filled with ups and downs, but through it all I watched her strength, her courage, her faith in God and her determination bring her through. With God's help she worked full time, went to school at night, took wonderful care of Skyler and earned her teaching degree. God has blessed her tremendously! He sent a wonderful Christian young man, Tony Magee into her and Skyler's life in the fall of 2000 and he became her husband and Skyler's daddy in December of 2001. In May of 2004 they were blessed with the addition of Mylie Addison Magee. God continues to bless their family day by day as they strive to serve and love Him! I cannot begin to say how very much I love her and how very proud I am of the young woman, wife, mother and teacher that she is! I thank God for the privilege of being her mother. Sydney, you are very loved!!!