Six years ago last Friday our second daughter, Jessica was born. She was born short and plump with an ear-piercing cry that was an immediate statement of her dislike of being yanked into this cold, bright world. As days and weeks went by, Jessica's smiles became very prevalent. The soft cooing noises turned into giggles when her back was tickled. Jess was easing going and tolerated her older sisters smothering hugs/kisses and an occasional dragging around the house.
I remember wondering if I could love another child like I did my first, but somehow God designed us with the capacity to love multiples with that passionate "mamma bear" love. This second daughter was so unlike her sister but still did all the girly things. At two weeks old, Jessica had her first taste of a Cherrios compliments of her older sister. Before her two month birthday, she already had a cut lip. (I swear those scissors were put away where Heidi couldn't get to them.) I was just glad that as Heidi was showing Jess the scissors as she was swaying back and forth in her swing, Jessie's eye's didn't get poked. Or the time when I found Jessica with a jump rope around her neck as Heidi was playing "pony" with her. Unfortunately, Heidi was at the brunt of the "mamma bear" love here and got the "mamma bear" discipline. I came to understand the phrase "I brought you into this world and I can take you out too!"
As Jess grew, the bond between her older sister and she grew stronger and stronger. They could go round and round one minute and be playing creatively the next. Jessica was a quick learning and started walking when she was 10 months old and talking before she was a year old. I look back at the video footage that I have of Jess when she was around 18 months old and she was talking in sentences. (She had to keep up with her sister.) There are times that I forget about the 22 months that separate my oldest daughters and think that they are twins. As I think back, there are not many stories of just Jess that I could remember. Those two have learned from each other and protected each other. They've been a stabilizing factor in each other's lives when our family was separated at Natalie's birth.
Now Jessica is six years old. She's enjoying all the socialization that kindergarten brings. She's very competitive, but hard to motivate sometimes. She loves to delegate and finds no shame in watching someone else do her work. I just know she'll be a leader someday!
To celebrate Jessie's sixth year, she wanted an "Ocean Birthday." Of all things...in the middle of the winter! So in -30F weather, we had an ocean birthday party. We don't have a Costco, Sam's Club or Walmart around the corner to go pick up a fancy cake or decorations (150 miles away). Heidi's imagination picked up from there. She painted white paper in greens and browns and then cut them into small pieces. This was the seaweed. Silk poinsettias left over from Christmas served as "ocean flowers." These along with plastic "sea snakes" lined the hallway that guests would walk through as they arrived. I turned a 9x13 cake into a seaside paradise (if only we could have traveled there for real!) by using Jessie's Polly Pocket things. It was one of the easier cakes that I've made. We all stayed nice and toasty warm inside and pretended that the laughter of ten children (seven and under) were seagulls vying for a piece of cake.
Finally, I can't post this without leaving some Jessisms:
"These sure are fluffy peas."
While eating eggs and toast one morning..."This doesn't taste like roasted toast!"
"That isn't very fashionable."
This girl has got some red cheeks. I've tried to do my best to keep them from getting so chapped, but am coming to the conclusion that it's going to be impossible. I've tried vaseline, Aquaphor, lotion and hydrocortisone cream. Up close they look terrible. I even had a complete stranger ask if she had Roseola. Once I think that I've found a possible culprit and try to eliminate it, they start to glow again. I've been told by another heart mom that her doctor had instructed her that the red cheeks were from having a mixed blood/blue baby physiology. Maybe, but I'm hoping that summer will clear some of this up. It just looks so painful.
Guess what older sisters left out? Natalie is an opportunist at best and took the chance to paint her own "fingee's." How ironic that she only changed the shade of her nail from a pale lavender (her normal) to dark plum. Natalie wants to grow up so badly. I had to take pictures so that I'd smile later. She wears me out.
Here she is proudly displaying her manicure...up to the first knuckle.
" Go Daddy, Go!!!" She yelled enthusiastically as she yanked up on Tim's shirt. It was so comical. A diaper-clad rider getting ready for bed, but not willing to go down easily.
She did it! All her coaxing brought Daddy to his hands and knees to take his daughter for a horsey ride. (What father could resist?)
Six years ago last Friday our second daughter, Jessica was born. She was born short and plump with an ear-piercing cry that was an immediate statement of her dislike of being yanked into this cold, bright world. As days and weeks went by, Jessica's smiles became very prevalent. The soft cooing noises turned into giggles when her back was tickled. Jess was easing going and tolerated her older sisters smothering hugs/kisses and an occasional dragging around the house.
As Jess grew, the bond between her older sister and she grew stronger and stronger. They could go round and round one minute and be playing creatively the next. Jessica was a quick learning and started walking when she was 10 months old and talking before she was a year old. I look back at the video footage that I have of Jess when she was around 18 months old and she was talking in sentences. (She had to keep up with her sister.) There are times that I forget about the 22 months that separate my oldest daughters and think that they are twins. As I think back, there are not many stories of just Jess that I could remember. Those two have learned from each other and protected each other. They've been a stabilizing factor in each other's lives when our family was separated at Natalie's birth. 
To celebrate Jessie's sixth year, she wanted an "Ocean Birthday." Of all things...in the middle of the winter! So in -30F weather, we had an ocean birthday party. We don't have a Costco, Sam's Club or Walmart around the corner to go pick up a fancy cake or decorations (150 miles away). Heidi's imagination picked up from there. She painted white paper in greens and browns and then cut them into small pieces. This was the seaweed. Silk poinsettias left over from Christmas served as "ocean flowers." These along with plastic "sea snakes" lined the hallway that guests would walk through as they arrived. I turned a 9x13 cake into a seaside paradise (if only we could have traveled there for real!) by using Jessie's Polly Pocket things. It was one of the easier cakes that I've made. We all stayed nice and toasty warm inside and pretended that the laughter of ten children (seven and under) were seagulls vying for a piece of cake.
Finally, I can't post this without leaving some Jessisms:
The real meaning of Christmas. 
The girls singing "Happy Birthday, Jesus" at the Christmas Eve service.
Craig loves the keyboard.
Sister love.
Natalie turned three years old on Sunday the 19th. We made it Her Big Day. She's struggled with the thought of growing up and has been very content with acting like a baby. Believe me, she isn't a baby and has developmentally taken on all the roles of a three year old. From constantly asking "Why?" to her demanding demeanor when speaking to her parents, she views herself as being someone to be reckoned with. I call her my Miss Jackal/Dr. Hyde girl. When she's happy, everyone is happy, but when she is mad, everyone knows it. Sunday was the first day that I attempted going all out with potty training. We had a successful dry day!
We love Miss Natalie for every part of who God made her. That spunk that the nurses saw in the NICU when she was less than 24 hours old has helped to get her to where she is today. She has gone from speaking only a few words last year to speaking in sentences. She still has to work hard at getting the right sentence structure and skips some of her sounds in words, but for the most part is right up there with other kids her age. She did have a speech evaluation this fall and was found to be age appropriate. Physically, Natalie is at or ahead of her three years old. She loves to run, jump and climb. She will chase her sisters till she's panting like a dog. Natalie has also started to color and recognize her colors. I haven't been as proactive as I probably should be in teaching her colors and shapes, but she's getting there. She does get in trouble when she starts to color on her sister's works of art...and then that mischievous little grin lights up her face.
Natalie's oxygen saturation's are all over the place. At her last cardiology visit, the first one they took was 68% and then at the end of the visit they were getting 86%. Sometimes those crazy pulse-ox's frustrate me and I could just throw them out the window. We don't have one at home for that very reason. I watch her color, breathlessness and fatigue level and go from there. I notice that she's the blue-est after she eats, when she's at a high activity level and after her bath. This winter she turned pretty purple when we were outside sledding on a fairly cold day (10F). These days it's been -30F to -40F so we've all stayed inside.
I have to do a lot of layering to keep Natalie warm. We keep our house around 70F inside, but her hands and feet don't stay warm very well. I was told by the cardiologist that this is just the way it's going to be with her. I can see her moving to a much warmer climate someday when she has a choice.Natalie has almost made it to 27 pounds.
