In the meantime, we are getting ready to celebrate our 2nd child's 6th birthday. Yes, our little Mia will be 6 very soon. Some days I think she wants to be closer to 16 years old and other days she is my little girl who needs me and just wants to be babied.
What a character! She is and will always be noticed. She came into this world seeking attention as it was not a smooth or even predictable entry. On my due date, on January 20, 2003 I learned during my doctor's appointment that she was most likely expected to arrive within the next 24 hours. Her head was in the right position and I was already dilated so we knew it was time. We were so excited to meet our daughter.
That evening I was quite tired and remember resting on the sofa after dinner while Terence sort of bounced around (and sometimes on top) of me as any toddler boy does. I felt fine and was ready (and very nervous) about her upcoming arrival. After making sure our bag was packed and Erika, our nanny, was on call to rush over to look after Terence we went to bed hoping for a few hours sleep before the contractions began.
Well, she never came. Instead, we returned to the doctor the next morning to figure out what was happening. To his and our surprise, she had flipped out of the head down, locked, dilated position. Our doctor was stunned. He called every other obstetrician he knew to inquire about this unexpected event. No one had heard of a baby turning - any direction - after 38 weeks let alone in the 40th week. Well, leave it to our Mia to get our full attention and come into this world seeking everyone's attention. After a night of waiting for her to return to her position, then an early morning wake to labor pains, she was finally delivered via emergency c-section on the morning of January 22, 2003.
Mia 1 day old at the hospital
Mia in the sink at 2 weeks old.She is, however, boy crazy. More so than I thought a 5 / 6 year old would ever be so we are worried. Her boyfriends change with the season and she tells us that she likes it when they do what she tells them to. The mothers at school often come up to me and tell me how much their sons are in love with our Mia. Can you smell trouble?
Maybe it's her laugh that everyone falls for? When she laughs, her entire body laughs. It's irresistible and infectious. When she is happy, everyone around her is happy. Her moods can be serious and we always say that about 5 - 10% of the time, watch out for her... The rest of the time, she is the best. She takes care of herself (does tasks without being asked like brushing her teeth, bathing, etc), helps us out often, looks after her little sister, tidies up without being asked (she's really into keeping her room in order and clean right now), eats almost everything and just seems to be a great daughter.
She does keep us on our toes and I think she always will. Other than the boys and her occasional mood swings, her health worries me. She's constantly at the pediatrician's office for swollen lymph nodes and a swollen spleen. We've had test after test after test and fortunately have not discovered anything serious. I hope in time her overall health issues improve and she becomes stronger. In the meantime, we keep a close eye on her.
Emilia Divina will always keep our lives filled with excitement and entertainment. From her quirky habits like hoarding clothing tags and receipts to her sense of fashion (ie designing her own clothing from scarves or accessories she finds around the house), she is one-of-a-kind. Everyone needs a Mia in their life to keep them smiling and to remind them to stop and smell the roses.
Mia at 3 weeks - relaxing at home.
I love how Ali is looking up at Mia in this photo above.Her birthday is in 2 days but her birthday party is tomorrow. We are expecting about 26 of her friends at an outdoor ice skating rink in town. See what I mean about her having lots of friends?! 26!! It's going to be a wild party!
This photo is from December when she first hit the ice.