Greetings friends near and far; family far and further!
As we are now days away from meeting the second addition to our burgeoning family, my thoughts keep returning to Isabel and the last two years of “just the three of us.” I also realized that not since her first birthday have I dropped mail in your boxes with news of her antics and development, both of which keep me locked in awe and always smiling. Well, one year brings lots of changes, many bigger than her first year, so I will have to keep it short instead and tell you about her more recent flowerings.
Today, we came back from the doctor after quite a night of contractions and cramping only to be told that the baby is “waaaay up there.” While Isabel has appeared to be excited about her “baby sister” (sleeping in her bassinette, checking Mommy’s belly to make sure I am okay, and telling Daddy to be gentle with her) lately, today things really seemed to sink in for her and she seemed just a bit nonplussed. That meant a lot of crying and stomping of feet, closing the door on Mommy (wait, shouldn’t that be only 12 years from now???), crying some more and being very moody. (Yes, you are right, I am in for it.) Luckily, or hopefully, this will just be a “phase.” Otherwise, Isabel has been, as always, a rather agreeable girl.
Girl? That’s right, there is no more baby there. Hasn’t been for a long time now. In fact, we just looked over her newborn pictures with her and she doesn’t even recognize her own self, referring to the baby as “she” and “who’s that?” We now have a Girl who knows her “reflection”, chases her “shadow,” and adeptly tells us what is on her mind, be it the “pink dinosaur” in my garden that will eat my flowers (and her), the “boy out there, watching” her at night, how she loves to dance (“come on, Mommy, dance with me!” “this is a great song” “i love to dance!”), what she wants (okay, what child does not do that?), correcting us all the time with “no, Mommy, like this, I show you, come on!” Oh, how I love to know what’s on her mind. It really never gets boring.
And how can you get bored watching your little bud open up and bloom like that? Some of my favorite pictures of her are up on our picasa website (fiesta la ballona) and you can just see the wheels turning in that old-soul head of hers. At times like those you can just imagine the bigger girl she will become. But not yet! We have time for that! For now, we will stick to the constant barrage of questions, the fears (oh yes, the fears are coming out and some real parenting has begun!), the tactile lessons, counting, singing of ABC’s, dealing with not-so-nice kids in the park, and the soon-to-be new life with a “baby sister.”
Since I have been sitting here I have had just a few exciting contractions (here goes another night of this…) and will have to wrap this up.
I imagine the next few days (if we are given that) will be spent doting on Isabel, dancing together in front of the mirror to some “good songs”, licking ice cream (she likes the “pink” one), wearing her new helmet (it was to be her big sister gift but we had to have her try it on and good thing we did!) while riding her bike or running down the street, and cuddling together for long bedtime routines (it’s 10:30 and she just went down.) After that, all our worlds will be turned upside down for a newer and bigger adventure!
Of course, we shall keep you posted. 🙂
Isabel and her stoic butterfly
Love the blog! Is it just Isabel referring to the baby and sister and she, or do you know something I don’t?
Yes, Isabel is determined to have a baby sister. She is pretty consistent in her hope it is a girl. 🙂