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My Baby Girl
by Tina Davis
I complain about softball but I really love it. Its hard practicing and
being at the ball park a minimum of four nights a week. But we
live in a town that is "softball crazy" (and I love it!).
Haley Jo wanted to play softball because her older cousin Audrey played.
She had just turned three and wanted to play so bad but we held out
until she turned four. Last spring, her first season, was incredible. To
put a a baby girl who had just turned four a month before the season
began, and see her actually be able to
hit a ball was amazing.
T-ball at the boys park
couldn't compare to it. Its impressive to see girls who are 3 and 4
years old be able to hit a ball and score off of those hits.
I saw her improve so much last year. We had a "perfect team' last year.
So many of our players were awesome. I don't know if Haley Jo will be as
good as some of those girls but I'm proud of her regardless. I love that
she respects the girls who are better than her and doesn't act any
better than the ones who aren't as "good" as she is. She really has
great sportsmanship (even when her mother doesn't). Her favorite part of
the game is at the end when both teams slap hands while walking across
the field and saying to one another "good game". Haley Jo will say after
every game "mama, that's so sweet that we do that...it's my
favorite...my second favorite is turning my jersey around" (they do that
if they win the game). So to see her happy just to have fun with her
little "friends" even the ones she's known a little over a month warms
my heart.
Sometimes I can be tough on her (if she strikes out-its no fun for me)
but I know that for me it just makes me happy for her to be
having fun. She is having to get used to a different pitcher this year
and so she's not hitting the same as she did in the spring but she is
doing much better. She's getting used to the way he pitches and that's
good. It doesn't matter to me what position she plays (I'm not really
sure what it is but its some kind of infield thing (short-field)) as
long as she is trying her best.
There's
nothing sweeter than to see her grandfather practice pitching to her and
enjoying her games. We as her family know she's great even when she
doesn't play so "great". Her spirit is much more important than her
batting average. It really means more to see her enjoying time with a
variety of girls that can be great friends despite a win or a loss. This
is our last year of softball before she enters "big school". I only have
about 6 more months with her before she's gone from 8-3 Mon-Fri. She's
my last baby. My baby that almost died after she was born before they
restarted her heart. My almost 13 lb newborn in the NICU with "baby
bird" babies. She is my clone. She is so "me" when I was her age. She is
one little fabulous 5 year old who parades around in her bikini waiting
patiently for summer. I'm proud of my little blessing. I learn so much
from her. :)
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