"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost."

for me, this quote is 100% true. this is natalie. my little sister. i am 19 and she is 4. we have just over 14 years between us and she came into my life january 27th 2006. i was in the 8th grade at the time and couldnt be more excited. the day she was born i could not wait to hold her in my arms and be the best big sister i could be to her. i will remember the day she was born and the first two weeks of her life like they were yesturday. they rushed her from the c-section room to the nursery. all i remember see was this fat face wrapped up in a little hospital blanket. i knew something was wrong when they barely let us see her. turns out, i was right. shes inhaled blood that then went into her lungs. this kept her in the hospital and for her family only to see her through a window. her first 2 weeks of life were the hardest and she spent them hooked up to machines, iv's, feeding tubes. you name it, she had it attached to her. even though she looked like this little fat baby, she wasnt. she was just swollen. she was in stage 3 NICU and that is an experience i will never forget. rows and rows of babys. sick babies. some that wouldnt live through the night and their familys were spending their last moments with them. premature babies that were as small as your hand. honestly, it was depressing and it made me change my mind about being a NICU nurse. my biggest fear was that my little sister wouldnt make it through these challenges and that i would never get to hold her. and with her hooked up to all of those machines made me scared to even touch her little hand. but ever since the day my sister was born shes been a fighter. she made it through all of that though and got to come home the day february 13th 2006. all my mom wanted was to have my sister home for valentines day and she got her wish. life for me has never been the same since.  this little girl is my world and has been since i saw her being rolled down the hallway. i felt my life change when she was brought into. i love her and couldnt imagin life without her. and im glad that i never have to! shes my little shadow and i wouldnt have it any other way! :)

she had a tough first few years and was always getting sick. everytime she did it was the fear of her having to be back in the hospital. luckyly now shes so much healthier and i couldnt be more happy! yes now she is four years old and growing like a weed, but she reminds me to find the joys in the simple things. and with her, i do get a little bit of childhood again. shes my little booger and means the world to me. natalie is my half sister. but to me, it doesnt feel like it and i dont care what DNA or anything along those lines say. she is my sister. we share the same mom but have a different dad. but that too doesnt matter. ron is like a father to me. hes been there through everything and has watched me grow. i think (besides me and natalie) that he is the best thing that has ever happened to my mom. he makes her happy. and seeing my mom happy makes me happy. theyve been married for just over 5 years. and they gave me the best sister i could ever ask for. without my parents i honestly dont know where i would be in life. my whole family has a huge part in my life and they are all there for me, but these three people mean the world to me. something about coming home and just feeling the love (even if its a bad day and were all cranky, or were in the same room having conversations on facebook) we love eachother and thats all a family needs. but theres something special about natalie. we have a bond that no one can break or change. since the first time i held her it was there.



<-- this little girl is my world. even though shes four she understands me. and as weird as this may sound, shes my best friend. having me as her sister has in a way made her grow up to fast. she says stuff that you wouldnt expect a four year old to say, she like to have her hair and make up like mine, and she loves anything and everything to do with twilight<3 she talks boys with me, she jokes with me, and we can sit there and laugh about anything. i write her a journal. not like id give it to her, but for me it just helps me write to her to express my emotions. one day i will be able to talk to her about everything and she will have enough life experence to help me. but like i said. shes four. her biggest issue in life is when spongebob isnt on tv. no matter what happens in my life or during my day, i can walk in the door and she will turn the corner, look at me and yell, "SISSY!" and she will be running as fast as she can, wrap he arms around my legs and hug me. thats the best feeling. knowing i have someone who looks up to me. i look up to my mom, natalie looks up to me. yes, ive taught he some bad things and its true that little kids brains are like sponges because she remembers EVERYTHING! but were also like typical sisters. we fight, bicker, tease, scream, cry. you name an issue you have with your sister whos close in age, i have with mine. i will go to the ends of the earth for her. shes my number one and my everything. the song by taylor swift, never grow up, is my song to her. my life would be incomplete without her.