We'll Call Her The Overachiever

It's funny how people are brought in to our lives to teach us things - to open our eyes, hearts, and minds to new things. Our children are no exception. In fact - I think they are the ultimate learning experience and the very best life lessons. And while I say they are the best life lessons, that doesn't mean they are easy ones.

9 months ago at this very moment I was being wheeled in to the OR, scared shitless and ready to learn if I was getting a son or a daughter. And a daughter it was. And while her brother likes to call her  Princess Pickle - we'll just call her "The Overachiever"....

Today at 9 months she weighs a "whopping" 13 pounds (as of her last check up, though we have another next week), just double what she weighed at birth. We mainly cloth diaper but she does wear a size 1 in disposables. She started solids very slowly around 6 months and has had nothing but rapid progress since. She has 1 tooth but thinks she is a big girl now and wants very little to do with baby food. I've gotten to the point of steaming veggies until they are soft or cutting up the cubes of frozen fruit I make for her to pick up with her fingers because she is so insistent on doing it all by herself. She is also crawling like a mad woman, constantly all up in our Christmas tree.

Yes, we'll definitely call her The Overachiever. Never in a million years would I have guessed this would be how our story would go. She is rarely making it on the charts at the 5th percentile or below - but for her condition she is so far beyond what was and is expected. And yes - she is tiny, but she is healthy as can be. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy having a baby that actually stayed a baby for awhile. It seems our children are babies for 5 minutes and then you blink and suddenly they're 3 and crawling up on your dryer and dumping Tide all over your damn floor.

This little fighter has been through so much in her short little 9 months - and something tells me she'd just rather run than walk. That seems to be her only speed - kick all odds in the face and shoot for the moon.  I can't possibly imagine where she might have picked up that characteristic.. I'm still undecided as to whether I should be proud that she has the heart of a fighter and a stubborn as they come attitude - or terrified. I guess I should probably be both.

Parenthood. The craziest roller coaster you could ever possibly ride. But definitely the sweetest and most rewarding thing life has ever handed me. And please - don't hesitate to remind me of this when I catch Easton shaving the dog, flushing wash cloths down the toilet, or trying to feed his sister legos.

Until next time..
Mama A

"Though she be but little, she is fierce!" - William Shakespeare