What kinda baby is it!?

Amelia (Millie) Grace born March 4, 2013.  7lbs 13oz 19 and 1/2 inches long.  this is her.. (isn't she adorable all gooey and gross?)

Having a 3rd scheduled c-section leaves little surprise in the whole baby thing.  You have a date, a time, a name, monogrammed burp cloths a gender specific room with little wooden letters depicting his/her initials, and a closet/dresser filled with blue/pink clothes.

We decided that we wanted just a little bit of a surprise, and daddy wanted to share just a little bit in the process (you know more than.. woohoo a baby!)  So we chose not to find out what kind of baby we were having!   foot note: For any of you considering such an ambitious move...  be okay with having 4 outfits for the first week of life.  gender neutral clothing is virtually nonexistent.  At times it was terribly painful.   But I think my friends had a harder time with it that we did.  I often said it was a good thing we had to make the choice at 18 weeks not to find out... because if I had the option at 25 I totally would have caved.  But in the weeks leading up to her birth the excitement was so much fun!

The excitement in the operating room was contagious.  Not just for us, but for the OR staff.  They were taking guesses, placing bets and all around really enjoying this with us!  I get the lovely view of a giant blue curtain... so I was laying there listening to the music on the radio and hearing the doctors and nurses "do their thing."  The song changed to "This girl is on Fire" and I heard a strong cry and Will says "it's a girl!"  We all got a great kick out of that.

Since then this girl has definitely made a statement.  She's fussy, she's smiley, she knows what she wants, she's already a strong but loving little lady.  Shannie is thrilled to have a sister (more on that later) and Grumpy Dwarf is a little less grumpy and a little more Papa Smurf.  Welcome to the world Millie Grace!

The Big Sister Freak out

After what seems like months (okay it has been months) I have 2 free hands to actually type a Shanniegans post!  Baby Millie Grace joined our family on March 4!  It was a rather uneventful birth but I'll share the highlights for those of you who are into that kinda of thing over the next few days.

The weekend before:  We tried to set up our weekend just like every other weekend.  It started with Friday night pizza and movie night.  Shannie was a little off, stomach aches, whining... my immediate worry.. .what if she's sick!!  we are having a new baby in 2 days.. what if she's sick.. what if I get sick.. worse what if Will gets sick!!?!? (you see he the most important part of baby week... without him.. the entire thing unravels and I lie in a bed and cry)

Dad: "is something bothering you?"
Shannie: hiding her now tearing eyes and whispering "I'm nervous about being a big sister"
Dad: that's ok.. I'm nervous about having 3 babies
Shannie: "But Dad, I don't know how to be a big sister, I only know how to be a little sister!"

Then the uncontrollable tears started, down to the hiccups, and the not breathing and the snotting... yeah one of those girl cries that reaches into your soul and you just can't make them stop.  (ladies, I'm certain you can relate)  it all culminates with a giant stomach emptying mess.  also known as cry induced  puke.

After a nice long warm shower, the tears subsided.  She camped out in a giant mommy sized robe in front of the space heater.  Suddenly I overhear this sweet sensitive loving child of mine say "thank you God for giving me all the hot water for my shower, just to make me feel better."  Her gratitude is always humbling.

A little book time and all seemed ok.  I can TOTALLY sympathize with the pressure of being a big sister, it's a lot for a little girl to handle, but 2 months later I can tell you she's a great big sister, loving, generous, and over attentive.  (more on that to come)  If only I attacked each event in my life with such desire for perfection.

Yes, it really happened this way....

Yesterday Grumpy Dwarf (age 8) asked to go to a friends house to play!!  This is big for us.... like really really big!!  Typically playing legos in his room, or even playing with his sister, trumps the  unknown of someone else's house.   So, 30 minutes into the "play-date" I get a call from the mom...  

"the boys were playing ball, Grumpy Dwarf (she didn't call him that obviously!) got tackled and hit his head.  I'm a nurse, I cleaned him all up, he's fine and they are playing board games, so don't come get him, just wanted you to know."

Me: "I grew up with 4 brothers, you could say I think he broke an arm, and I'd say... "no problem, I'll be right there."  I'm not one to panic about stuff like that.

So we (Shannie and I) show up at the appropriate time to pick up the brother, who promptly launches himself out of the house and into the car without a "bye, thanks, see later ..."  After a good eye roll from me and an apology to the mom, Shannie and I head to the car.

As Shannie is climbing in I hear... "Oh no!!  Connor don't turn your head!"

C:  "I can't if I wanted to sissy, it hurts!!"

S: "well it's hurting my stomach to see it!!"

C: (taunting his sister)  "It's my head sis, just look..."

S: starts dry heaving...

Mom: "Whatever you do do not throw up in this car!!  We are almost home!"

S:  "but I can smell his blood and it makes me sick!"

C:  "You can't smell blood you are not a vampire!"

S:  "I can so smell blood and yours smells like alligators!!"   (apparently alligators are terribly smelly)

       *cough cough heave heave*

Mom: "We are home, everyone out, now!!"  (I am so proud that we made it the 3 blocks home without a vomit issue)

S: *cough cough.... puke.  on the steps... awesome

C:  "sissy did you just puke?"  

S: "yes it's your alligator blood!!"

C:  *cough cough....

Mom: Please don't....

C: Puke.

Mom: Seriously....

so for the rest of the evening this Mommy cleaned up vomit that we should attribute to "alligator blood" issues... and kept the boy out of Shannie's line of sight.  If she saw him, any part of him, she burst into tears and gagged.    My husband and I spent the evening in between hysterical laughter and complete exasperation.   Needless to say... I'm guessing Shannie will not be a nurse/doctor and it will be a VERY long time before Grumpy Dwarf leaves his cave again.

Thoughts on MLK

So, as we near the Martin Luther King Holiday I give you these words of wisdom from my sweet little Shannie.

Shannie: Mom, how can Dr. King be both a Doctor and a King?!?
Mom:  Well, Dr. King's last name is King.  What do you know about Dr. King?
Shannie: That he had LOTS of jobs.  He's the doctor of the Kingdom!
Mom: Do you know what Dr. King did?
Shannie: He shouted "FREEDOM" from the rooftops. (under her breath) but I don't know how people heard him up on the roof.
Mom:  That just means that he said it for the whole world to hear.
Shannie:  he must have a really loud voice.
Mom: Who needed freedom?
Shannie: I dunno, his friends?

 I'm so thankful that my daughter goes to a preschool where they talk about such things!  I am also so thankful that my daughter believes that Kings and kingdoms are an everyday part of life, and that freedom is such an abstract word for her!  in her universe the need for freedom doesn't even exist.  She doesn't understand selfishness, bigotry, racism, or fear.  She simply understands that people live in happy places, where working to hard (a doctor and a king) are the worst enemy, and that life is full of imagination and joy.

the best thing about rain....

We all woke up pretty slow this morning, the cold drizzle outside make it extremely dark, and pretty comfortable under the covers.  We took grumpy smurf to school, and the whole 4 minute drive he whined "It's raining, that means we can't play outside, It's raining, that means that I'm going to be sleepy all day." and on and on and on.  Shannie is surprisingly quiet (rare, I know)  We get home and are snuggling on the couch watching a little Jake and the Neverland Pirates (where WAS that show when I was a kid!? I'd like to discover gold dabloons... zablooms... gaboons...  yeah whatever those gold things are, just for counting to 5!)

Suddenly Shannie looks out the window and says... "you know the best thing about rain?"
Mom: What's that?
Shannie:  The rainbow that comes when it's over.
Mom: Oh Shannie, remember that for the rest of your life little one!

How true is that of the challenges of life?  It's so easy to get wrapped up in the fact that is RAINING!  Shannie wants to play outside, ride her bike (a new found skill)  jump rope, color with chalk... it is in fact 55 degrees outside!!  But it's raining, so we have to find things to do inside, namely snuggle and read books, watching movies, do crafts, the same kinds of things we've been doing for what seems like months due to the cold.  But does she whine about the rain?  No...  She's looking forward to the rainbow and the treasures beyond.

I think that's probably what Jesus meant when he called us to have faith like a child.  Perhaps it's a little of that instant trust and friendship that children seem to bestow on everyone; but I think it's more about the hope and joy.   To even know that there's a rainbow at the end of the storm means that we have hope that the storm will even end.  That life will look a little different on the other side, that there is HOPE for the next leg of our journey.  So thank you my little one... for the reminder to continue to search for the rainbow!

The perfect gift

Shannie is so excited for Christmas, she is even thoughtful in her gifts!

Shannie:  "Mom, are you allergic to peacocks"
Mom: (hesitantly) "No..."
Shannie:  (conspiratorially whispers to her brother) "that's good, because a peacock would be a PERFECT Christmas Present."
Connor:  "What would we do with a peacock?"
Shannie: "of course it would sleep on your top bunk..."
Connor: "but it will poop on me in my sleep."
Shannie:  "It's okay brother, it can wear a diaper."
Connor: "giggling, ok sis."

the Incantation...

So Shannie is working (hard) at understanding the "Incarnation" which she calls "the incantation"  You know... the whole "God became man thing."     So we've had some neat conversations these past few days. the first goes like this...

Shannie:  "Mom, did you know that Jesus is really 3 people!"
Mom: "Yes! (surprised at this statement, she is only 4)  do you know what we call those 3 people?"
Shannie:  (eye roll) "Jesus, the Son, and the uncle"

Nice...  now Shannon's uncles are very important to her, so it would only make sense that they rank up there with Jesus in hero worship...  We'll work on that.


The following conversation happened the very next evening after dinner.

Shannie: "Did you know that Jesus had 2 dads?"
Mom: "Yes...." (always waiting for more, anytime we start with a question.... we end with something profoundly confusing)
Shannie:  "God and Joseph"
Mom: "right!"  (amazed)
Shannie:  "Were they married?"
Mom: "well no..."
Shannie: (gasps)  "they had Jesus and they weren't married."
Mom:  stuttering and my head is spinning. I'm not sure I'm prepared for all of these conversations...
Shannie: (staring at me for a long minute)  "Daddy, we need a little help in here."