New perspective

I got to go on a little trip to Oregon with my parents, Grandma Joy, and Annie to see my cousin Hart get married. We had a wonderful time, and it was so much fun to see the Oregon Godbolds, my cousin Lacey and her husband Crow and their daughter Isla, who is just one day older than Annie.

Often people ask, what's it like having a girl? Is it different? I always say yes-- it is different, she's a bit more high maintenance, a bit more "needy." She's not as easy as the boys were, blah blah blah. So, taking her on a plane and to a new place with jet lag, etc. was a risky move. So, the big surprise was how absolutely PERFECT she was. She didn't even cry on the plane. Not once. And it's a 4 hour flight. All weekend everyone fawned all over her saying she was SUCH a happy baby, and how laid back she was, and how they'd never even SEEN a baby like her...but the weird part is that they were absolutely right. She WAS happy. She let anyone hold her, and if you so much as made eye contact with her she began to charm you with her sweet, excited smiles. It made me think.

You see, at home, she has to share attention with 2 very demanding, still pretty little boys. She has to wait her turn, and she's a baby-- so she doesn't really wait well. But if she were my ONLY baby, I would never know that. I would think she was perfect, and laid back and happy ALL THE TIME. To give credit to this theory we have been home 2 days, and she is back to normal. Or what I thought was normal. She fusses when she isn't getting what she needs or wants right away. She cries in the car sometimes, but it's because no one sits with her to play with her. She can't be expected to entertain herself all day long, while I am dealing with her 2 big brothers. But the fact is, she ISN'T my only baby. So my dear sweet Annie, if you had been an only child, or at least a first born, you would have been perceived as perfect. But as my beautiful baby daughter, my THIRD born child-- patience is a virtue. I love you. I'm sorry you have to wait.