We Have a Girl!

I am finding different journals that seem to overlap. Some were written as a diary of events; and some more as articles. I'm not sure what I intended to do with them. But because I don't have dates on everything, some of these entries and often the pictures, will seem out of order... because I didn't want to wait to start this until I had everything in perfect order...

"We have a girl, honey." My husband's voice was drowned by a cry from the baby. Our baby! It had finally arrived, healthy and strong.

"Debbie, we have a little girl!" This time I caught the excitement in his voice. It wasn't an 'it' anymore. She was Kirsten Sally Dawn, and she was beautiful!

The recuperation was much harder than the labor or delivery, but every time I held that soft, helpless newborn baby, I knew it was worth it. I even looked forward to doing it all over again.

Kirsten was always referred to as a "good baby." I figure that means she had very few wants or needs that weren't supplied with a minimum of fussing. A baby that often has upset somachs is "not a good baby" or a "fussy baby." Funny - our labels.

But Kirsten slept and ate and grew. And with her body, grew both her strong will and her charm. It was never hard for her to get attention. All who knew her loved her. Every Sunday our Pastor held his "princess" for a while.

Then it happened the second time.

"It's a girl, honey!" Was there any disappointment in that statement? "Here's Rachel Pearl Sandland!" No, that was ecstatic pride! It was what I had wanted - and it seemed Daddy agreed.

And Rachel was welcomed by all - even the Grandma who thought her only son should have a son. And she knew that this was to be our last - whatever it was.

The first few Sundays it seemed there was one who wished Rachel had never come. Suddenly Kirsten had lost the spotlight. That's tough for a two-year-old. But she got over it and quickly adjusted to being a very proud big sister.