3 More Years Until She Drives

*This is a re-post from September 10th, 2008. Today we are celebrating Middle Weasel's 12 Birthday. She could not have grown more beautifully. Happy Birthday Middle Weasel, I love you!*

Than I was on September 10th of last year. No, It's not my birthday. It is, however, the anniversary of the the birth of Middle Weasel. For the next few weeks I will be the mother of two 11 year olds at the same time.

I can hear what you are saying, "yikes they are close together!". And that they are. Middle Weasel has been a ball of happy surprises from the day we found out she was growing inside me. She was our big surprise. She was our "stop pulling my leg" child. She was our "I swear I wasn't involved child". As our son was a high maintenance infant who barely left time for parental sleep. She was our happiest and greatest surprise ever.

It took a little getting used to, the idea that I was going to have a baby, as I was holding my new baby in my arms. But after the initial shock wore off, there was no doubt in our minds that this would be a most wonderful gift.

She would continually surprise us throughout her life. She started by offering the doctor photographic evidence(via ultra sound) that she was in fact a boy. I still have that evidence. And it was so obvious on the screen, that I felt silly for asking.

I still contend that God had mercy on my sorry self. Eldest wanted a little sister for quite some time and put me through some serious trials when we brought home our son(#2) from the hospital. If she didn't get the sister she ordered, someone was going to pay. Even after we told her the new baby would be a boy she continued to insist that we were having a baby girl. Either she has psychic abilities without lottery numbers or God had been extra kind to us.

Next she decided to make her entrance 2 weeks early. Later that day we found out that she had fooled the specialist yet again and was 3 weeks early.

Mr. Weasel and I were in the delivery room, and had the nurses in stitches, still bantering and arguing about boys names. As she was born, the room fell silent. The cord had been badly wrapped around her neck and her color was purple. No one would tell me what was wrong. The Doctor and staff worked quickly and soon she pinked up. Her first apgar was 1, the second was 10. Then the laughter broke out. "What's wrong?" immediately switched to "What's so funny?".

They were all laughing because "You don't have to argue about boy names anymore". We had a beautiful baby girl. And I do mean beautiful. Most babies are kind of squishy and awkward looking at first. Not this one. She was a gorgeous cherub.

She brought so much joy and laughter to our home that Mr. Weasel, who had only ever envisioned 2 children, 3 at the outside, came over to my side of the fence and said that he wanted to have a whole brood. And he obviously meant it. And it gave Eldest Weasel her first opportunity to say "I told you so".

So Thank you to Middle Weasel. We love you and appreciate all the joy you bring to our home, but cut out the surprises. Happy Birthday!