Piper and her cousin Paige (whose birthday was Saturday) Piper Jane was born 14 years ago today. It was one of the hottest summers in history during the final months of my pregnancy (I wore a mumu every day and slept on top of the AC vent), but the day she was born the heat broke and the fresh autumn wind blew down the canyons and the air was crisp and clean as I walked around the hospital trying to start labor. It took us three years to get Piper here and lots of tears, loss, fear and trepidation. But when she came to us, after a short crazy labor and in a tiny, loud, beautiful body, I thought, Oh my darling girl, you were worth the wait. I haven't stopped thinking that. Today, as I watched her laugh and dance and giggle her way through her day, I kept thinking . . . I'm so glad we didn't quit (and I wanted to . . . it was too exhausting mentally and physically to keep having miscarriages). She fills our house with joy and laughter and a touch of drama....