Five years ago today the entire world changed. Because on Tuesday November 22, 2011, we welcomed Miss Olivia Marie to the family. Ever since that day, she has blessed us with her own unique brand of sweetness and light.
People say that there's a country song for everything, and I agree because these days there's a Brad Paisley song on the radio that goes...
"Because the memory of a day like today...
Can get you through the rest of your life."
Sometimes when I'm sitting in traffic, I think back to the pivotal and defining moments in my life. Olivia's birth is right up there at the top of the list.
Olivia likes to hear about when she was a baby, so we've been looking at her baby book and telling stories. She loves to hear about how when she was born, and I was still on the operating table, she cried really loud and the nurses called Daddy over to meet her for the first time. As soon as she heard his voice, she stopped crying immediately. It was amazing. His voice was familiar to her and all of the sudden she was at ease.
When they took her to get her vitals, she initiated contact with him by reaching up and grabbing his finger with her hand. That's the first hand she ever held.
After I would nurse her and then put her down, she often had this look that was just divine... completely pure, satisfied, loving sweetness. One day I snapped a photo of it.
One of these times when she was laying down sweetly just after nursing, instead of love and happiness, I felt something like sadness or yearning from her... she wasn't crying or distressed, but just thoughtful, like she was missing something and it felt like a male energy. Don't ask me how I felt this because I can't explain it. A few weeks later, and rather unexpectedly, I found out that I was pregnant and I immediately felt that it was going to be a brother for Olivia. Right now as I sit here typing, I am hearing them play very nicely and interactively together with the new Holiday Barbie set that Grandma and Papa got for her.
The kids are both doing great. They actually both learned how to ride bikes on the same day! October 24th. We put the pedals on Quinn's bike because Olivia wanted to try it. Once she figured it out, Quinn had to take his turn and he did great with it as well. Fast forward one month and they are both practically pros at riding. We bought Olivia a new bike helmet and a big girl bike for her birthday this year. Come Spring when the weather gets better, we are excited to hit the trails and the parks with our bikes!
With Thanksgiving just days away and seeing my beautiful and sweet Olivia curious about reading and writing, healthy and strong, sweet and kind, life's blessings just don't get any better than this.
Love always, Claire
