The Birth of a Sister

So after waxing a bit about my boy I feel I should give the girl her due.

M is the best daughter I have ever had. She is also an excellent big sister. I am sure if there were awards for this, she would win one.

One morning this week I was at my wits end and D was crying because I had taken a toy away and told him it was time to go. I was not in the mood to console him (mom of the year. right here.).

So instead I sent his sister. She trotted into the kitchen and out of sight and within seconds, his crying stopped. Immediately. When the two returned moments later they were both happy and smiling. I asked her what had happened.

"I gave him a big hug and patted him on his back." she replied while tilting her head sideways in a questioning way. And then said, "Because he was crying."

Well of course. Aren't I an ass?

M was an easy baby. She slurped happily at the breast and would doze off in my arms almost immediately when full. That last drop of milk still on her lips. That is a picture I will hold in my heart for always. I can still smell that moment.

She was quick to smile and not too quick toward tantrums. Her terrible eighteen month threshold lasted only a little bit into her second year. Only a few months of having to physically pick her up off of the floor as she screamed because IT IS TIME TO LEAVE THE STORE somehow sent her into fits and rendered her physically incapable of following direction.

At age four she is officially into Princesses and Pink and has to be convinced that she cannot wear a dress everyday. We have taken to pointing out the very nice days and telling her that she will be playing and she may not be able to do everything she wants to in a dress and remind her that she would not want to get it dirty. I am not sure which is more of of a motivation, the lack of play or the dirty dress but I am pretending it's the play time because I was never a dress girl.

She likes to have her fingers painted and always chooses very STRONG colors. Orange, Blue, Red and Purple to date. Again, that could go either way. Either she is attracted to bold vibrant colors because she will be a strong vibrant woman, or she's a future tramp. (oh okay, of course it could be both)

She is a considerate girl. She always asks for two of whatever goodie she gets so that her brother is covered. She always tells me "thank you for dinner mommy" whenever we have the rare opportunity to have a family meal.

She often hugs me tightly around my legs and snuggles her cheek into my belly. I am still trying to figure out how she got that tall! And will say "just because" when asked what the hug is for.

She is sneaky. She will often declare. "I am hungry" because she has just spied a piece of chocolate somewhere because she knows without ever being told that "I would like to have that chocolate" probably won't work. And she lies. When we were having our last bedtime potty joust she lied about having ever even sat on the potty. Bold faced but betrayed by her mischief smile.

She is a daddy's girl. She LOVES her daddy. They are best buds and have a fun and very silly time together. If she had her way daddy would put her to bed everynight (I recently agreed with her on this one and now her daddy does put her (and her brother) to bed every night...tee hee.) and it would be her Utopian ideal to have daddy at school with her, all day, everyday.

But she also adores her mommy and we have a great time together. She will dance with me and sing with me and she often requests the made up songs that have gotten us through many a daycare shuttle. She loves to help. In the kitchen, with her brother, with my beading. Almost anywhere. And she enjoys the quiet time she gets to spend alone with either mom or dad on the weekends while D is napping to ever admit that she still occasionally needs a nap.

She loves her daycare "school" and has many friends there. Her "best friend" seems to depend entirely on her mood that day but she has many to choose from. She seems to be friends with boys and girls, although she did recently declare that she does not like Diego because he is a boy. (Again, could go either way there". She has fun. She likes going to school and she likes coming home. All of her teachers and her classmates seem to enjoy her. See above if you wonder why.

So there is my girl. She is a sweet and thoughtful thing and she supports the old adage about "little ears" to the T. She is always listening. Always connecting.

I am so very fortunate that she is my daughter.