Second Daughter

When Ellie was born, it took me by surprise how difficult a little baby could be. Anyone who was witness to Baby Ellie's first 8 months could testify that she was by far more difficult than the average baby. We all agree that the changing moment in her life was when she learned how to crawl. Suddenly a whole world of enjoyment was opened up to us. She was kind and thoughtful and sweet and funny. We could not get enough of Ellie. I could not take my eyes off of her. It was like seeing a fantastic new movie in the theaters. You just want to watch it over and over again. Remember the movie Titanic? Yeah, I was guilty of seeing it 9 times in the theater. Ellie was like that - I just couldn't stop watching her. I couldn't soak in enough of the entertainment she gave me every day, even if any given day had the same beginning and ending as the one before. I knew I had something good and I wanted to watch over and over again because each time I would notice something new. Something amazing. And I wanted to write about it all, share it all with the world because I knew that eventually everyone would agree with me - this little girl was something special, something the world has never seen before.

Telling the world about Addie has been more difficult. I'm not nearly as stressed with her as I was with Ellie. Instead of focusing on how I am going to make it through this moment, I find myself reveling in every moment with her. It's peaceful. It feels like I've already known this baby for much longer than her 4 months. We just click without even trying. She's like a classic movie - one that just always has been a favorite and you can't quite remember the first time you watched it. Princess Bride, anyone? It's not surprising or new, but it's familiar and comforting. And just as entertaining. I don't feel like I need to tell the world about how wonderful she is. They just already know. She's perfect. Anyone can see that without me explaining it to them. And I almost don't want to. I find that I want to keep her all to myself. I treasure every moment I have alone with her, knowing that the moments won't last long. She's already 4.5 months old and I feel like if I keep her to myself then it will slow time down just a little more.

Having Addie in my life is like a reminder that you can indeed have more than one favorite movie. There may be other movies that catch your attention and keep you entertained, but they're not like this one. Every one is unique. This one happens to be a classic. This one is, and always has been, a favorite. Doesn't it just make you want to sit back, relax, curl up on a couch and snuggle and just sit and stare?