When our little one was born she was perfect.  And I can say that truthfully because she got a ten on her APGAR test.  I did not even know what that was at the time but it was the first thing I proudly announced, after her birth statistics.  I came across this picture and could not resist posting.  Every once in a while when our little one sweeps her long, jet black eyelashes down, I literally get a glimpse of my late father in her.  I have written before that a couple of weeks after she was born she developed this “birthmark.”  It never bothered any of us although we were constantly having to explain it.  I had fluoride stains on my two front teeth that made me self-conscious all of my life.  Despite modeling and being in the Miss Texas U.S.A. pageant it is a great insecurity I still feel today.  The stains are now gone but the scars still remain.  My husband and I did not want that for our little girl.  The final straw for me was when a grown woman pointed straight at her and exclaimed, “EW, WHAT IS THAT?!” and then I watched my tiny one slowly lift her hand up to her cheek.  She does not remember it because she was I guess about two and a half but I certainly do.  So we made the decision to give her two laser treatments and have it removed.  The American basketball coach and multiple championship winner John Wooden once said, “Just do the best you can.  No one can do more than that.”  My daddy used to say something very similar.  It is ironic that I have not pierced her ears because I wanted her to make her own decision and yet I chose to make this incredibly important decision for her.  I really tried to do what I thought was best.  She has said she still wishes she had it.  I told her regardless of whether she can still see it or not it will always be there … a paw print on my heart.