Day 9: On Charlie...

I've noticed that I spend a disproportionate amount of my writing talking about Sammie, too often forgetting to write about my daughter.

Part of that is owing to the fact that a lot of our lives revolve around meeting his unique needs. Part of it is habit- I've spent three years plus focusing on Sammie and it can be hard to get my brain away from comparing my internal notes on how much he's grown and evolved as a human being. And part of it is simply that I've gotten to know him more. He and I had years together before we even dreamt of a little girl, and even now she has to share attention with him all the time.

Regardless of the reasons, valid or not, it's a habit I am intent on changing. While she may not be the "squeaky" wheel, my baby girl is crazy interesting and awesome. And the world needs to know it.

So here is my post, dedicated entirely to my teeny tiny baby girl, Charlize, who never goes by her full name. To me, and to the world, she is simply "Charlie".

Let me start by saying this: Charlie is a total dream boat. She's the kind of beautiful that takes your very breath away. Every feature is perfect, and was from birth. Even the nurses gasped and said that they'd rarely seen such a beautiful newborn.

But beyond her beautiful face is a beautiful soul that radiates from her everywhere she goes.

Seldom a cryer, Charlie spends almost her entire day in smiles and giggles. Even when she does cry, she often smiles through the tears as if to tell you "It's ok! I know you are trying to help". Unless she ie exhausted or hungry, she spends her life in a perpetual state of happy.

She is in love with people, and unabashedly shines adoration upon anyone who is willing to pay her a little attention. She has a particular soft spot for children, who seem drawn to her. Rarely does an outing go by where I am not stopped by a young child pulling on my arms, asking me to see her.

While very outgoing and loving, Charlie is an intensely attached to me. She rarely wants to be out of my arms for long periods of time and insists on being held as often as humanly possible. But as she gets older, she is discovering the joys of independence and is slowly releasing her vice-like grip. ;)

An avid music lover, Charlie has been instantly soothed by song since her first hour of life. Her favourite seems to be the theme song from Bonanza, but only when Daddy sings it. ;)

By four months, she was already "singing along" with me and has been working hard on forming her first words. She's even said "mama" a handful of times...but I'd be lying if I said I thought it was intentional. ;)

In many ways, she is already night and day different from her brother. But they have many similarities too, and she is crazy about her big bro. She wants to be just like him, and has decided to start by being a night owl. Even as I type this, nursing her in bed, she is looking up at me with gleeful eyes and a half smirk on her lips.

I could never have dreamt that I would be able to love another child as much as I love Sammie. What I didn't know is that the miracle of a mother's heart is its ability to grow exponentially in size, making room for new loves, adventures amd experiences without ever giving up on the old ones.

I've only just begun the journey of discovering Charlie, amd every day brings new joys along the way. I am eternally blessed for the gift of her, and fall even more madly in love with her every day.

Mama Zita