Happy Birthday, Girl!

Happy Birthday to the Girl. She is eleven years old today (well, in about one hour, lol). As always near the kids' birthdays, I have been thinking about her labor and birth, and her early years. Talking to Dy on the phone while she was having contractions and experiencing a long labor really brought it on as well. Girl's labor lasted 36 hours from water breaking to her kersplooshing out with an elbow presentation. We did it all at home, with the help of 2 wonderful midwives, and the Boy's Godmother, who was his birth partner for the whole 36 hours, as he was only two and a half at the time.

Papa wrote beautiful poems for both of the kids' labor and births. They are beautiful, and always make me cry when I read them, because he captured the experiences so very well. They are also in a very visual format, with the words dancing across the page in a style reminiscent of e.e.cummings. It works well, but unfortunately, I am such a novice blogger I cannot for the life of me get them to post without losing the layout of Papa's original poems. He has clearly stated if I cannot get them to post correctly, then they can't be posted. Sooooo, Dy, wonderful friend that she is, is trying to figure it out. If she can do it, I will let you know.

Until then, I will tell you a bit about the Girl. This won't begin to scratch the surface. She is beautiful and self-confident. She knows her mind, and is not easily swayed. I never worry about her and peer pressure. She has been this way since birth. Once, at about 9 months old, she bit me while nursing. I disengaged, and said "No. That hurts Mama." in a firm voice. She promptly reached up with her little hand and hit me on the cheek!! Put me in my place, didn't she?

She walked for the first time at 13 months, but then didn't walk again till she was 2. She knew how, she just seemed to prefer crawling. But boy did she climb!!! I had to watch her like a hawk. Once, when she was about 11 months, in the time it took me to use the bathroom, she climbed up the divider between the kitchen and livingroom, and was up in the corner of the room, her head touching the ceiling, hanging on with little primate toes to the top of the window frame. Another time, we were at the park, and she climbed up the jungle gym to the top of one of those sliding poles. I only reached her just as she was getting ready to try to slide down the pole. Again, she was barely over a year old.

She didn't start talking till she was over two, and her first words were no, don't, and stop.

She has always loved to eat, and we affectionately refer to her as a full-contact eater. She has only recently stopped needing a bib. She is adventurous and will try anything once. When your parents cook as eclectic-ly and from as many cultures as we do, this is a very good thing!

She is very determined and dedicated when she wants to be. She can also throw the meanest, longest tantrums I have ever seen, and having worked with hundreds of kids in my lifetime, I do not exaggerate on this point. It is so funny that the same girl who stomps and fusses over doing the dishes will sit and play on the piano for hours at a time.

She loves animals, elves, and her big brother. She loves to write, and has really become a voracious reader. She is poised and calm, except when she is in a crowd. Then all bets are off.

I cannot even begin to imagine life without her. She is one of my biggest joys, and we are very proud of her. Happy Birthday, dear sweet Girl.
LB