a celebration of life

I would like to start out with my exciting announcement: i'm going to be an aunt (again). Meghan and Chad are having a baby, and I am thrilled. More than ever this time, i guess because I understand the blessing and miracle of a baby. (I also feel waaaaay more bad for Meghan, because as much as i love my darling baby, i still hated being pregnant :-). She's due approximately the end of November. Kennedy will be about 4.5, Parker 2.5, which is just about perfectly spaced out. And I am so excited that we live moderately close, at least, so i can be there more. if the price of gas ever goes down.
that leads me into my next topic of the day:
I'm sure this gets old for some of you, but hey, nobody's forcing you to be here. I would like to reiterate how much I adore my daughter. I realize I only have one, and she's still young, but I really never knew it could be this good. Patrick and I are so in love with her it's ridiculous. I feel so priviledged to get to be with her like I do. I think I told pretty much everyone, even strangers on the street, how rough it used to be. I was confident she would forever be the world's most difficult baby. (But now that I look back, I think that was because 1. i didn't know what i was doing 2. I kept trying to obey these random rules i thought were important, instead of listening to her needs. i realize many people think it's unwise or even bad parenting to really pay attention to your baby and allow them to have some say, in their own way, of how things go. that it makes them spoiled and manipulative. honestly, how can a 3 month old be manipulating me? but next time around i'm going to be more sensitive, not less. if she's hysterical when she's put down, then don't put her down. fighting it just prolonged the difficulty for both of us). anyways, all that to say, she is now the world's most perfect baby. to me, at least. most people would say she's much



too attached, but i am still young enough to remember, from personal experience, that very soon she won't want me around, she'll want to be with her friends. i do, however, keep putting her in the childcare at the gym (only for an hour at a time) with great hopes that one day i will come get her and they'll say, oh, she was great, she didn't even cry. (i can dream, right?)
the other day i finally got her to drink from a sippy cup. i was so excited, then i cried. she's growing so fast. she has 4 teeth now. she can wave, which she does all the time, even to complete strangers. she has a variety of sounds including dada and baba (i'm still trying to work on ma ma, to no avail :-). she can even stand on her own for a split second. not sleeping through the night, but it can't last much longer, right?
anyways, to any new mothers out there, don't despair. it does get easier.

i realize that many, if not most of you, have your own children. i realize she may not always take my breath away like she does now. one day i will even take her (and her siblings) for granted. they will not always fill my heart with wonder and amazement that i have such a precious gift. but hopefully that is a long ways away. for now, every day, every moment is still new and exciting and wonderful and unparalled in beauty. thanks for letting me share it with you!