Faith is SIX!

(Please indulge me for a birth story for a paragraph or five.)

Six years ago today I woke before dawn knowing it was time to meet my third child. I took my time getting ready to go to the hospital 'cause there's nothing as disappointing as being turned away not "ready" and who wants to wait it out at the hospital when you can wait it out at home instead. (Not that I know much about waiting when it comes to labor and delivery, but I wanted to keep it that way.)

Dave and I gathered Olivia and Paul and packed them in the car to take to a friends house. We each carried a sleepyhead up to the door and then drove a few blocks to the hospital.

I was smiling as we checked in and the nurses told me later that they were thinking, "no way is this lady ready to give birth- much too calm and comfortable looking." So they prepared me for the "wait" asking if I'd like to use the restroom before being hooked up to the monitors. So I did and while I was in that tiny cubicle I nearly fainted. All of a sudden I got very dizzy and hot. I re-emerged a different woman.

After I was situated in the "waiting" room, the nurse checked my status and then hollered to her co-workers "She's a 10 with a bulge!" Faith was on her way! I was told not to push (yeah, right) while an ER doctor was notified to come upstairs to catch this baby.

At 4:28 am Dave and I got the surprise of our life as we looked at our baby girl. I say "surprise, because she looked nothing like our previous offspring. This girl had hair! And it was quite blonde and wavy with a tint of red. (I assume that the waviness and redness probably had something to do with just emerging from the womb.)


Ahhh, Faith. She has been a little ray of sunshine to us ever since. She is energetic and compassionate. We might have a future personal trainer in Faith. She is quite conscientious about what foods are healthy. One morning after coming home with donuts, she exasperatingly said to me "Mom, I told you not to buy those again!" She is also mindful of exercise and does the best push-up out of anyone in the family. This girl needs an outlet for that energy within. Unfortunately, on those rainy days where she has no wide open spaces and no friends to play with- mischief abounds- usually resulting in some sort of permanent writing or drawing on some sort of furniture or significant part of the house (think windowsill.)

Faith loves her family and friends and pets deeply. Faith is constantly asking if she can go play at one of her friends houses or invite someone over. Ever since we lost our cat Violet, Faith has been thinking and praying for her and Grandma and Grandpa G's dog Mugzy who has passed too. One of Faith's classmate's mothers told me that on her daughter's challenging first day of school she saw Faith gently rubbing her daughter's back assuring her that it would be okay. If I ever get teary Faith is quick to rush and get me a Kleenex and then hug me and look into my face which reminds me that life is so good. Or if I'm feeling sick, she is off to get a blanket or a drink of water for me.


I pray that I can be the mom this little girl needs- giving her plenty of opportunities to run and play and exercise (and doing that with her!) and that I can be a source of compassion and empathy for her when it is her time of need.