Rachel

Rachel. My daughter. My "easy" kid.

Rachel was my girl baby. The smallest of my kids at 5lbs 3 oz (4 lbs 12 oz at 2 days old). She was 6 weeks early and her courageous battle in the NICU taught me how strong I was (and what a kick ass little girl I had!). She spent 2 weeks struggling to learn how to breathe but once she figured it out that was it. She has continued to learn like that. She starts everything off slowly but once she decides to do it she just does. Like walking. After 9 months of seemingly unproductive physical therapy she just walked one day (at 20 months old). After being silent for her first 18 months of life, one morning she just began talking. 2 days later she was putting words together. I think Rachel senses when we are getting concerned about her not doing something and just begins to do it!

Likes

Stinky & binky (her blanket and pacifier!). Stinky is a light green fleece blanket that we got when she was born from the hospital. She was wrapped up in it for days because she couldn't regulate her body temps very well. After she came home we continued to wrap her in it because it smelled like the NICU and it comforted her. Somewhere around her first birthday I realized that she loves this blanket and sleeps with it every night! Stinky never left her crib until a few months ago when Rachel decided that she needs both the blanket and the pacifier all the time. I still try to limit her use of them, but come on! The girl started walking, talking AND got a new sibling all at the same time???? Heck, I could use a comfort object and I am 31 years older than her :) Oh the blanket gets it name from well, the stench of it! Rachel hates having it washed and sniffs it to clam herself down (can we all say ewwww together?)

She also likes: the Very Hungry Caterpillar book. It is handed to me every single night. She will tolerate another story if you read that one first!, playing with her brother's toys - most noteably the sit and spin - she loves that!
Dislikes

Her older brother most days! Being disciplined, peas, and messes. Rachel loves to clean up and put things away! I need to write that down so when her room is a disaster when she's a teenager I can remind her of how she used to be!!! She also seems to dislike barrettes since she takes them out all the time!

Will grow up to be:

An Engineer! Rachel loves to examine everything! She is quiet and methodical. She enjoys fitting things together (puzzles, etc) and analyzes all situations before reacting. Maybe she'll be an astronaut!!!

When her new brother came home Rachel immediately developed a "maternal instinct". She is always patting his head, giving him pacifiers, blankets, and doll bottles. If he cries she makes sure every knows it!

She is sweet and kind. Always been an "easy" kid - sleeps well, eats well, plays well. Of course she has also had 11 months of physical therapy and is on month 3 of her speech therapy which would make her seem like a high needs child but she really isn't.

Oh, and I am glad I have a daughter :)

Mothering the Woody doll

With Stink & Bink on Easter