Miss Violet Pearl Turns Three!

Three years ago today I gave birth to our first daughter. It sounds so simple...we can forget all that birth entails when we bake the birthday cake and tell our child to make a wish! Early labour...the excitement of knowing that sometime soon you'll meet your long-awaited (and in my case, overdue) baby, making those last-minute arrangements for your toddler, the drive to wherever you give birth (in our case, in my childhood bedroom at my parents' house), and accepting the inevitable work that lies ahead.

Then the many circuits around my mom's beautiful garden to get things going, renting a silly movie and knitting to distract from what was to come (I still can't believe my belly was that big), the excitement of my sisters as they arrived for the birth, the beautifully-prepared room, and eventually, that spiralling in to myself. I like to labour alone, with a cool cloth over my eyes, and no noise, scents, or physical contact. My mom set my husband to cutting the lawn, and running to the store for groceries; he was happy to have the distraction!

My sister is a doula and recognized the shift in my breathing and birth sounds; she called our midwife and suggested she come very soon. I tend to go very quickly after transition, and sure enough, when our midwife arrived at 6:35pm, I was starting to feel ready to push. By 6:53 pm, after 3 pushes, our first little daughter was born. We were all a little shocked by how quickly she arrived, and thrilled to welcome the newest wee girl to our clan.

We basked in the love and care of my sisters and mom for that first week. These pictures were taken when Violet Pearl was 3 days old. Notice the little Johnny-Jump-Up behind her ear!

Now our little miss is THREE! She was only 21 months old when Margot was born, and it has pained me to see her struggle with the challenges of being an older sibling. She has wicked tantrums, is so stubborn and single-minded, and screams and cries so loudly we sometimes put her out on the porch till she stops. I work at compensating for the way my attention was taken from her by a sick baby at that important time in her life. We spend a lot of time together now.

She loves books and cuddling on my lap with her blanket. She loves talking to her toy horses and dolls. She loves the beach. She is a picky eater, and wears clothes that are size 24 months. She talks in her sleep. A lot. She scratches and bites her big brother and ignores her little sister. She is a mama's girl. She drives her father crazy because they're so much alike, and melts his heart when she cups his face in her tiny palms and smooches him slowly on the lips, her eyes closed. She loves to be naked.

This wonderful, star-filled, powerful little woman of mine. How I love you and celebrate the day you came into our family! You make me laugh and smile every day, and to be honest, you also infuriate, perplex, and worry me every day. I am so excited to see who you turn out to be someday.