I never thought the day would come. Never.

I think everyone has that moment when they feel old. It doesn't matter if you're turning 21 or 81. Maybe it was the day you graduated high school or college. Or the day you got your first "big kid" job. Maybe it was the birth of your first child or grandchild. My moment of feeling downright old has come today. My baby sister is 16. I know growing older is inevitable. I knew this day was coming, but now that it's here, I'm SO not ready for it. This is a horrible cliche but it honestly doesn't seem like that long ago when she was born. Standing up against the nursery window, I remember thinking about how this little thing in the incubator was about to join our happy family of four. I didn't know if I was going to be okay inviting this new kid into my house. After all, I was 9 years older than her and I was happy having one little sister to bully around. Now I had another tossed into the mix and I just wasn't sure how that was going to work out. But then we brought her home. And she was the cutest baby with the most adorable giggle. I used to do completely silly things just to hear her laughing. She was (and still is) the most affectionate kid I'd ever met. It was impossible to be mad at her when 10 seconds later she was giggling and trying to give you a hug. This is how I think of Kristen:

Cute as a button, downy soft hair, large birthmark, cutest little baby teeth and the happiest child you will ever meet. Sixteen years later, she's still cute as a button (so I'm a little partial). Her downy hair has been replaced with unruly, absolutely OUT OF CONTROL curly hair that even the best straightener can't completely iron out. Her birthmark has completely faded to the point that, if you hadn't known her as a baby, you wouldn't know it ever existed. The baby teeth have fallen out and have been replaced with teeth that needed braces (which were removed yesterday). And that happy baby has been replaced with a moody teenager. Here's what my baby "Kittan" looks like today:

The changes in my sweet little sister are enough to send me into a fit of hyperventilating. And as if the age thing doesn't bother me enough, she is now the owner of a cell phone. She's not old enough for a cell phone! Never mind the fact that I had one whenever I was her age. Never mind the fact that her schoolmates have probably had one for going on five years now. She's still my baby sister. I should be picking out her clothes every morning and talking about the fact that boys have cooties and watching Cinderella with her. Instead, she can wear MY clothes, she tells me about all the boys that she thinks are hot (I never thought I'd hear the day...) and Cinderella is a obsession of the past. Now she likes Wizards of Waverly Place and High School Musical. What happened to my baby sister? Did those sixteen years really just fly by as fast as I think? If I'm this bad whenever my little sister turns 16, how am I going to be when I have kids of my own?? Whether I'm ready for it or not, it's here. So, Kris, Kit-Kat, K-sten, Kristenopher Robin, Kittan, Krissy, Kris Kross, K-man......happy (inhale) 16th birthday. You'll always be my baby sister, no matter how old you are. :)