October 19, 2008

Dear Sarah,

The fact that I can actually sit down and type you this letter this month is a feat that is owed in entirety to your hard-working Grandma and Daddy. Grandma has been here almost this whole month playing with you and taking you on amazing outings and generally making your life wonderful and full of good things. Your Daddy has been so patient with me as we transition to life with your two little brothers. Yes, my rooster-roo, this month marks your first as a Big Sister. Your brothers were born a week ago and your life has changed in many ways and in many ways has stayed the same.

In preparation for your brothers' arrival we tried to do some last fun activities with you and Grandma. This was made somewhat difficult by Mama's huge girth and we had to be careful to go places with wide aisles. We spent our last weekend day as a family of three together at a farm where you got to see chickens (CHICKENS!!!! squeal!!!), goats, sheep, pigs, cows and horses. I am not sure what you liked more. The chickens or the pebbles that you picked up and portered around with you. You are no longer a walker by the way. You run. Everywhere. Except your run? It is this bizarre flailing motion that is almost more horizontal that forward. People actually remark on it as you flash by. We just kind of shrug and assume that it will become more of a forward movement eventually.

You have definite opinions about things and one of those things about which you have strong feelings is having your diaper changed. It has begun to resemble a WWF match when you have to be dressed and diapered. No amount of cajoling, fun toys or music will keep you from having an absolute fit at times. We are so looking forward to potty training you! On that front, you are obsessed with the potty. If we let you, you would put everything in the potty. Tigger and Pengiun have had their share of "baths" this month. You watch us use the potty, often demanding, "up! up! up!" mid-stream. This is, of course, impossible but you are not deterred from asking. We got you your own potty to sit on in the bathroom and you will sit on it and then pretend wipe when you're done. And the toilet paper? It isn't just for wiping! Oh no, you will take it all over the place if we aren't on top of it and a fair amount of it will end up in the toilet. This month we have certainly taxed our sewer system.

You have added many many new words to your vocabulary. Too many to list. Your favorites include "up" and "down" and "baby." Wonder where that one came from? You continue to obsess over penguins (the little kind not the emperors - the emperors? they are so not that impressive!) and you have taken to sleeping on top of sleep sheep to keep those whale noises ringing in your ears all night long.

The hardest part of this month for Mama was being away from you when I was in the hospital. You conveniently came down with a cold/teething ickyness thing right when the babies were born so we quarantined you at home with Grandma for the first couple of days of the babies' lives. From 3PM on Wednesday until 5PM on Sunday I didn't see you. That is 98 hours. While we have had almost constant help since my last hospitalization the one constant and our biggest priority has been that you and I are always together. By Sunday afternoon I was so hysterical from hormones and not sleeping and not being with YOU that Daddy had to make a special trip home and back again to pick you up so that I could see you. My missing appendage, seeing your sweet face was the turning point in my recovery and our on-time return home. I fully credit you for getting things up and moving and for getting us out of the hospital on schedule and with minimal distress. Your absolute joy during the car ride home surrounded by your brothers, with me and your Daddy in the front was the icing on the cake. Thank you for making that ride so special.

This month was certainly the most earth-shaking for us since the month you came home. Seeing you with your brothers and watching your obvious glee as you realize that they aren't dolls and that, oh look at that, they're still here, gives us much hope for the future. I also can't help but look at you and wonder how these little creatures are ever going to be able to do all of the amazing things that you can now do. You are such a little person these days that we are able to follow your lead as we negotiate this foreign land called parenting a triumverate.

And then there were five . . .

Love,
Mama