Babiest Girl....Bringer of Joy....

I am not going to lie.....Babiest Girl was not in the plans. At least not that spring. I cried for DAYS when I found out I was expecting. I had a four year old and a one year old for goodness sakes, it was not the optimal time financially, and we lived in a two bedroom house. But, as often happens, we figured it all out (with a little divine intervention), and by the time of her birth, we were settled in our new (to us) three bedroom storybook cottage, anxiously awaiting her arrival . Her birth was quick and easy (thanks to the epidural - I didn't have one with the other two). When Baby Girl (who had spent the last 4 months shouting into my ever growing belly "my mommy...MY MOMMY!) laid eyes on 12 hour old Babiest Girl, she gasped and said with the greatest reverence, "Oh Mommy....her's a WHEETEE (translated:sweetie). And was she ever! Such a wonderful baby, and so very loved by all of us....A sweetie all the way around. So full of personality, so funny....and so laid back. She was the light of our lives...and still is, today. As she grew, it became apparent that she was smart....not just bright, but scary smart...off the charts smart. In Kindergarten, her favorite animal? An Echidna....I swear, I had to look it up! (You know...the egg laying Mammals that live in Australia...) More than one of her teachers have told me that she has the most inquisitive mind of any student that they have ever taught. She thrives in the scholastic environment, and she dreams of going to the High School of Math and Science...a boarding school, Lord Help Me! (The child has asked for a book on Quantum Physics.....for a little light reading!) But here's the weird thing (Even weirder than ME having a  Mathematically/ Scientifically gifted child)...to be so smart, she is so...normal. I have often said that it must be a wonderful thing, to be Babiest Girl. She is, and has always been, so comfortable in her own skin....so content, no matter her circumstance...so self assured....so kind. When she was in Elementary School, she had a little friend who suffered from a nervous condition that was so bad, it made it difficult for him to eat. Babiest Girl would sit next to him, and rub his back...murmuring to him that it was alright - encouraging him to take just one more bite....I have witnessed it on multiple occasions, and it never failed to bring me to tears. I can always count on Babiest girl to help, wherever she is needed. She is patient and loving...a girl with tremendous style.She has a thousand watt smile, and eyes that twinkle - like my Dad's. She isn't short....she's fun sized! Her beauty is ethereal and her sense of wonder is palpable. She loves to laugh, and she loves to play games. She makes jewelry like a pro, and gives the best head scratches in the history of mankind. Unbeknownst to her, I was watching  the other day, as she was standing in a wide open space - arms flung out to the side, head back, spinning around and around - her long hippie skirt flowing with her movement. Her joyful abandon in the moment was filled with her beautiful spirit - one that embraces us all. Today, on this day before Thanksgiving, I am Thankful for Babiest Girl....for the light that is her life....for the joy that she brings, wherever she goes.