Four Years Old

Four years ago today, Lilah graced our family with her grand entrance in the world. Here is the epic story of my labor and her birth. Our fifth baby, she was the first of my two home births. When I read her birth story now, I clearly see how I brought so much of the misery of a long and protracted labor on myself by being such a control freak and trying to bring about her birth before she was ready. Live and learn! She was nine days late, and I was mighty impatient; she was the only one of all my babies to come after her due date. When I tell her the story of how she didn't want to come out of my belly, she tells me, "I couldn't come out, Mommy. It wasn't my birthday yet!" And such is Lilah: clever and precocious and often surprising us with her astuteness.

While she certainly has her moments and meltdowns, Lilah is probably the most good-natured of all our kids. She's affectionate and sweet, a real charmer, and a total Daddy's girl - she has him wrapped around her little finger.

Lilah was a complete surprise. Michael and I were trying to decide if we were going to go ahead and try for another baby, and had this big, serious discussion about it. The twins were just about 16 months old at the time, and I remember we decided to wait until they turned two to make a decision. Just a week or so later, I found out that I was already pregnant. (I remember going to Target and buying martini glasses for a gathering I was hosting at home that evening, and a pregnancy test. Nice combination! It still makes me laugh.) I cried at first, because although I was seriously leaning towards wanting another baby, I like to plan things - I don't like being taken by surprise. What a wonderful surprise she turned out to be, though!

Happy birthday, my sweet girl.

Birth

One Year

Two Years

Three Years

Four Years