Printheth (Princess) and Glath Thlippers (Glass Slippers)

Song Suggestion:  Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

  I am sitting in my three seasons room, the track lights are dimmed, I have my lab top on my lap and a chunk of spinach artichoke cheese that I am nibbling on in hand.   Kendall is to my right.. sippy cup with milk in her left hand and a rolled up piece of honey ham with cheddar cheese inside, clutched in her right hand. She has her pink fuzzy (her blanket) wrapped around her, head to toe.. the pink tassels that trim her blanket fall around her face, and when I look at her I cannot help but smile.  I never realized how entertaining it was to watch her smash that ham and cheese into her mouth.  When she noticed that I was watching her she started giggling.  This huge smile, it makes her nose wrinkle and her dimples show, then she throws back her head and lets out this massive chuckle.  I cannot help but laugh with her.  It's contagious, she is contagious.

  Kendall was a fantastic baby.  She was just very content.  One of my most vivid memories of her as a baby was when she was only three weeks old.  She had woken up for a midnight feeding and there I sat with her all bundled up watching her suck down that bottle.  I dozed off with her in my arms and as my arms relaxed and released her just a bit, I startled awake.  My heart pounding, I could have dropped my baby.   I looked down at her to see if she was sleeping or if my reaction had woken her up and there she lay in my lap.  Wide awake, which was fine, but what scared the living hell out of me was that she was staring at me and she was smiling so big that I could see her gums. I am sorry, but there is nothing normal about a three week old wide eyed and bushy tailed baby smiling at you for more the a few seconds.  It's scary.. it was actually terrifying to me.  It was not gas, because as I set her down in the middle of the living room and left her lay there on the floor and backed up out of the room, she continued to lay there and watch me and smile at me.  I thought she was possessed.  I mean seriously, what does a freekin three week old have to smile about!?   I waited for her to stop smiling then walked back into the living room and I put her in her crib.. and went to bed.  I was so freaked out.  

    The first time Kendall and I had our first little disagreement was when  she was a one and a half year old.  She would not take a nap and I was beyond frustrated.  I remember standing over her yelling at her to get back in her room and go to bed... blah blah blah..  and she clenched her fists.. and just started yelling back..  but the thing is she couldn't talk yet, like I said she was only one and a half.  But she formed this babbling language for that moment and let me have it. I was speechless.  It was a fantastic slap in the face.  I knew I sounded exactly the same to her as she sounded to me.  This is when I scooped her up and loved her and cuddled her.  She went to bed after that.  No argument.  Kendall has always been able to get her point across. Whether she's been three weeks old or three years old.  She's a bundle of emotion. 

   Kendall is eccentric, she is expressive.  She has this wild sense of style that I absolutely love. She calls all her shoes, "glath thlipperthz" (glass slippers) and she loves her new fairy costume. She loves make up and cinderella, and dancing.  Kendall changes her shirt at LEAST six times a day and each time she does, she comes to me and does a twirl, nearly landing on her bottom.   Kendall only wears pants that are "the pink" and she loves any type of chocolate there is out there.  She calls herself "printheth"(princess) and refuses to have her hair brushed with out a fight. 

   I celebrate Kendall tonight.  For the her freedom of dress... her freedom of opinion,  for her free little spirit.  I celebrate her brother for putting up with her.  I am in awe of these tiny people I call my children and I celebrate the One who gave them to me.