FOUR YEARS OLD


















































































Warning: if you get annoyed with parents who go on and on about how great their kids are, or about their birth stories, please be warned. I am about to rave about my birthday girl. This is not an apology, because I think it’s a good thing for a parent to do. It’s simply a warning, in case you find it braggy or annoying.

Four years ago, I was desperate to go into labor. I was 13 days overdue, and the waiting was driving me crazy! We were living at Leslie Science and Nature Center, in the caretaker's cottage. My parents were visiting that day, and we walked into town to the farmer's market. After returning, we had walked about 5 miles. It apparently wasn't enough, so we all walked through the beautiful woods out our back door. It was not that long, but it was hilly. Nope, didn't do it. I was feeling contractions, but nothing regular. So, when we got back from that walk, I continued on and walked through the neighborhood, down by the river. By about 3 that afternoon, I was definitely contracting, and starting to wonder about how regular the contractions were. I remember I was doing some light gardening, and probably throwing the ball outside for Maggie. Mali was at the frog festival with Grandma and Grandpa. It was then that I knew I was in labor, but still not sure if it was "active labor." By 6, I heard "Prairie Home Companion" come on the radio, and then I knew it was the full-on, real deal. Mark called Amanda, our midwife. She first sent the apprentice (Sara, a friend from playgroup) over. I labored on the ball a lot, and eventually got in the pool. Things progressed well until suddenly Amanda's voice changed and she told me I needed to get the baby out -- NOW. Amanda is even more soft-spoken then I am, and this was quite a shock. We did it, though. It was really hard, and the pushing was especially hard. At 10:30, Greta Claire came out, posterior. The exhileration of a new life, wrapped in a small bundle was upon us. Greta and I took a bath, and then our new family of four was tucked into bed while Amanda and Sara cleaned up. They didn't leave until everything was taken care of, including my belly being fed warm soup. It was our first homebirth, and when I look back, there's no question that it was exactly where we wanted to be.

What we call her: Greta-bear, Gretlesticks, Boo-Boo, Little Britches, Gretzky

Four words for four years (this was REALLY hard)

Dynamic: She feels her emotions intensely. At the same time, in the face of adversity, she often is very grounded, level-headed and calm. She loves the excitement of scary things, but then gets too scared by them.

Funny: She has always loved to make us laugh. I mean, even when she was a baby she did this! She started cracking jokes very early on. She is a people-lover and enjoys attention and entertaining (if it's on her terms). I think we all lean toward optimism, but Greta is the token optimist in our family. She's the first one to say, "Oh, it's such a beautiful day!" even if it's not.

Wise: She teaches me things everyday, whether they are her own creations, or facts that I honestly didn't know before. I often hear her say, "Excuse me, Mama, I have a suggestion. . . " or "Did you actually know that. . ." or "I figured out that. . . " or simply, "I have something to tell you. . ." She loves to talk (especially to adults) and is much more articulate than one may guess by her age. She picks up on details that no one else noticed and remembers them for a long time.

Creative: She can make something out of just about anything. She loves to design, to compartmentalize, to create. She is expressive through her creations, whether they are drawings, buildings, or some new kind of vehicle. They always have a purpose, and they always carry some kind of message.

This little girl is bursting at the seams. Her personality is far bigger than her little body. There is so much about her that we discover and love every day. I truly consider it a gift to spend my days with her, to hear what she has to say, to watch her brain working and growing, and to receive all the bunches of love she hands out.