Chelsey as told by her mom….in a million words or less

Here is my "homework" on Chelsey......

Chelsey was born on April 2, 1996 just one day and one year after her father and I got married. She had some issues during the birthing process and ended up being an emergency c-section. She was then whisked from Burlington Memorial Hospital to Cooper Medical for a week’s stay in the NICU. Chelsey was a sight to see among all of the preemies, as she was 8 lbs and 1 oz at birth. There was one other child her size that also had complications during birth and they were housed next to each other. The doctor in charge joked about them being in the big section.

We just moved to Medford 2 years ago, so Chelsey was raised in Marlton for her first 9 years. She went to daycare when she was 5 months old and then to Beeler Elementary for Kindergarten thru 3^rd grade. She made many friends there and still misses some of them, although she’s made plenty in her neighborhood now. Chelsey is a very friendly child and will do anything for anyone. She has a kind heart and loves to help people out, whether she’s helping me with our new baby or helping out one of her friends. Right now she is in the process of growing out her hair to donate to Locks of Love.

Ever since she was a little girl, she’s been interested in animals. If it was up to Chelsey we would have 3 dogs, 4 cats, fish and some birds. She has also stated from a young age, that when she moves out, she’ll get all of those animals. I tell her, good luck with that. Chelsey has also had her vocation planned for most of her life. Ask her and she’ll tell you that she wants to be a wild life veterinarian. I imagine her in Africa one day amongst the lions and tigers, keeping them well.

Chelsey loves music, whether she’s playing in band (clarinet) or just jamming on her guitar. She’s been taking lessons on both for about 2 years now. Some of her favorite artists would include Jack Johnson, the Beatles, Hilary Duff, and Avril Lavigne. She can read music fairly well, I’m told, which impresses me to no end as I can not.

Chelsey also loves to create art. She is a photographer, painter, and a writer. She’s done some really creative things which we have displayed proudly in our house. Chelsey also loves to cook and will help out in the kitchen whenever possible. She loves to bake cookies, cakes, and help her father make his family’s spaghetti sauce. Her love of food comes from her father’s side of the family; she has a great palette and can usually be coaxed into trying different food items. Some of her favorite foods include shrimp, clams oreganato, and chicken parmesan. Her favorite restaurant is Benihana’s. She learned how to use chopsticks in first grade during Chinese New Year’s. She is always offered the children’s chopsticks and always turns them down. We started taking her there when we realized that she would eat a whole lot of food at that restaurant.

Chelsey also loves to play sports. She plays softball in the spring and either field hockey or soccer in the fall. This year she played softball on the Medford league and played several positions, such as 1^st base, pitcher and short stop. This fall, she is playing field hockey on the township league. Her aunt played field hockey in high school and showed Chelsey the basics of the game.

Chelsey is a huge help with her new baby brother. We weren’t sure how she was going to react after being an only child for 11 years, but she has stepped up and is now a pro at caring for Joey. She’s a pretty amazing kid and I am proud to have her as a daughter.