Seven

My baby turned seven today.  Seven years – 84 month – since she exited her cozy and comfy womb – which she was not inclined to leave when life dictated as much.

Julia.  Born on November 24, 2007.

She spent a week in the NICU at Blank Children’s in Des Moines due to suspected pneumonia – the healthiest baby in the NICU; oddly another cozy cocoon where new parents learned to be parents and nurses and doctors provided structure and schedule.

She is determined, encouraging, loving, delightful, self-assured, silly, cautious, direct, devoted, motivated, opinionated, talkative, sensitive, sentimental, warm, proud, caring, dependable, lovable, friendly.

Her favorite colors are green and blue or blue and green. 

She wants to be a teacher and a mom when she grows up.

She is a great big sister.  She knows what makes her sisters tick – both good and bad – and knows when to play her cards with them.  And she – groan – has learned to tattle on both of them.

She thinks her parents are in their 60s.  (HA!)

She enjoys school, but seems to enjoy pleasing her teacher more and works quickly – sometimes missing that working diligently or hard would be more responsible – and mommy sees a lot of herself in her daughter in this area.

She enjoys learning about things from her dad – curious about his projects, wanting to help with them, not thinking that anything is above her or beneath her.

She is happy cleaning the kitchen (with vigor, a lot of spray, and a WHOLE ROLL of paper towels)…. and she enjoys working in the electronics kids’ book dad has for her.

She enjoys reading and math.  But she still likes recess more – especially since they have a new playground.  She does not like gym because they have to run laps.  A lot.

She still snuggles her blankets and baby at night – those she’s had since she was an infant.  She takes on the orphans but yet gladly shares with her baby sister to make sure that she knows how wonderful and lovely it is to have a favorite blanket and baby too.

She loves to imagine play, playing teacher or parent or whomever at any given moment.  She enjoys building rooms within rooms – she can create a whole “house” within the living room and has created her own bedroom in her bed within the bedroom she shares with her sister – she has a host of imaginary worlds.  I imagine she would love an indoor teepee or tent.

She loves hot dogs and mac and cheese.  But she loves ‘snacks’ even more.  She prefers water to any other liquid for consumption.

She can do a fairly good cartwheel and is working hard on handstands.  She loves dance and pom poms. 

This year she asked for a Monster High birthday and doll – and that’s what she received and she loved it all. 

We celebrated seven with another tree decorating; another year further away from being a baby, but always being my first and always being my baby.  (“What????!!!?!?!  A seven year old baby?  That is WEIRD.”  Oh man, that kid cracks me up.)

Erin