Miss Mia Turns 3!!!

Three years ago today it was bitterly cold but I insisted on going for my then-ritualized nighttime waddle after the kids had gone to bed.   It was my painful and desperate attempt to induce labour.  My mother, not wanting to upset me, graciously bundled herself up to come with me so I wasn’t walking the icy and darkened streets alone.

It was on this particular walk that my mom made the sweeping statement that “Babies are ALWAYS born in the middle of the night.”

Of course I argued her point; I was beyond curmudgeonly and we had run out of the usual topics of conversation.  She rolled her eyes at me,

“Name ONE BABY who was born between the hours of 8am and 4pm”

Jordan Holloway. 

Her argument was that his mother  had been in LABOUR during the night so it didn’t count.

I threw my arms up in the air.  With THAT type of specification and the length of MOST labours, NO ONE was going to meet her ridiculous criteria.

I still remember her very next words that served as the final impetus for Mia’s arrival,

“Look, Lyssie, all I’m trying to say is that no one wakes up at 7am, goes into labor, and delivers the baby at 4pm in the afternoon.  It’s never REFINED like that.”

Less than 24 hours later, after a 7am-4pm labour and arriving just before the civilized hour of 5pm, Mia made her grand entrance into the world

It was the first and LAST thing she ever conformed to.  It was the first of MANY times she flipped the inaugural bird to my mother and the rest of the world.

Since that time, Mia has lived up to that very first statement by being predictably unpredictable, doing things in her own way, on her own terms, and constantly giving us plenty of things to laugh about.

We find her now, approaching her 3^rd birthday, a strong willed, independent and quirky little girl.    While she can keep up with her busy brother in soccer, wrestling and running games,  we often find her by herself, sweetly rocking one of her many babies, softly kissing their head and shushing them in sweet maternal loveliness. 

Her palate for chocolate and all things sweet is unparalleled.  This Christmas I brought home that disgusting PC Chocolate Soda and did a blind taste test for my parents, Rob, Toby and Mia.  We all smelled it, took a sip, and guess who was the first to guess correctly?

“ITS CHOCOLATE….” She said in an astounedly dreamy voice.  While the rest of us grimaced and poured it down the drain, Mia gleefully finished her (very small) taste test, and has since then marveled at that magically perfect beverage that never materialized again.

Mia makes us all laugh on a regular basis.  Whether it’s her odd pronunciations of words such as DESSERT (pronounced De-THE-rt) or Usually (pronounced Yooooo-s-oooo—ly) or her crazy dress up get ups that she proudly walks around boasting, there is never a dull moment with her around.

Perhaps my greatest pleasure comes from watching Mia and Toby together.  There was a long stretch of time in my life when I questioned how on earth I was ever going to be able to parent two children at the same time.  I still have those moments, but seeing their mutual love of one another blossom and reciprocate, I know that by having Mia I gave Toby the greatest gift I could ever give him.   This year I can add this clause:  And Vice Versa.

Dearest Mia,

I know you are SO excited to turn 3 years old tomorrow.  You know how to hold up 3 fingers and you love the fact that if you turn the number 3 on its side it makes an M for Mia.  I look forward to celebrating the day with you with all of your babies, a big chocolate cake with whipped cream for de-the-rt and a nice cozy meal with your adoring brother and father.  You bring us all so much joy; we couldn’t imagine what we ever did without you.  I hope one day you will be a Mommy too, because I know you will be SUCH a great one, but more importantly so that you one day know how very much I love you, my sweet pea.

Happy Birthday to you

 Love Always,  Mommy xoxo