Toots

She arrived in her own laid back fashion- two weeks late.  (Make no mistake, it was laid back for her.  Meanwhile her mama was a hot, stressed out mess.)  But as soon as the midwife laid her on my chest I uttered the words I imagined myself saying during those last long weeks, "you were worth the wait."

Because I like surprises I waited all 42 weeks to find out her gender and, while I gave the proper line about just wanting a happy, healthy baby, deep down I hoped for my girl.  Specifically a blue-eyed girl with a head full of dark hair.

She was exactly what I couldn't dare to dream for.  It felt like too much to ask for.  I couldn't possibly be that lucky.  

But God had blessings beyond blessings in store with her.  She came out of the womb eating, sleeping, and playing like a champ.  All that I had learned during the dark days of her brother's first months about getting babies to sleep, eat, and allow themselves to be put down was completely unnecessary. Because she knew intuitively how to be the world's easiest baby.

She is also the world's happiest baby.  She smiles all. the. time.  Laughs full belly laughs at the slightest hint of funny and cries close to never.  She is sunshine.  

 And the nickname, Toots?  Well, like her brother she earned that too.  It started with the 5 am wake up call.  She would grunt and struggle every morning at 5 am ending in the biggest, loudest toot.  Every day.  The morning toots no longer occur daily, but she still passes gas more loudly than anyone else in our family.  She'll love this story when she's 16.