Happy Birthday, Lucy.

Well, it's happened. Lucy turned 1 today.

While keeping the private details of the situation, well...private, I will tell you that Lucy's birth was somewhat dramatic. She was born almost 2 months early and Jenn was very sick afterward...so, the point is that today is a real celebration.

But on top of celebrating the first year and birth of sweet baby Lucy, I've been thinking a lot this week about the fact that for a whole year...Mia has been a big sister.

Last week I talked about all of the love and laughter in my life but, more specifically, the things that made a tough time for me a little bit easier. Before I posted this blog, I was fully aware that I had not mentioned my sister, Burton. I could not come up with a specific point or story about her, and in keeping with the rules of creative writing, I decided to leave her out.

Right on cue, I received a text from my sister:

"I read your blog...thanks a heap for the shout out."

So I told her the truth...while I could have just said how much I love her without a creative or entertaining anecdote to go along with it, I felt that that would only cheapen it.

So...I've been thinking about sisters.

Mia and Lucy have now been sisters for one year. So far, that means adjusting to sharing Mom and Dad's attention, being really excited when the younger sister does something new, and learning to not squeeze or pull or push or bite too hard.

But I've been thinking about the things that Mia and Lucy have to look forward to in the coming years of sisterhood.

And so on your first birthday, sweet Lucy, these are some of the things that having a big sister has meant to me...

Never having to buy your own clothes. You've already been wearing a lot of Mia's old clothes, so I know you're used to this. But don't worry, one day soon you and Mia will wear the same size and you're not going to have to wear hand-me-downs anymore...you'll get to steal her clothes right out of laundry hamper. (I'll give you tips on this when you're older.)

Not having to take care of yourself. Once, when I was in the 3rd grade and Burton was in 7th, she came to visit me on a day when I was in school and she wasn't. She promptly unfastened my belt, as well as my pants, and proceeded to tuck in my shirt and then re-fasten my pants and belt...in front of the entire class. I only tell you this so that in case you are a bit messy as I am, and Mia is a bit uptight as Burton is...you'll be prepared.

Never having to be alone. You might have to share a room with Mia...but it's okay, Burton and I shared a room until I was 14 when she left for college. I slept on the floor in my parents' room for weeks. I just couldn't get used to sleeping by myself. When you've grown up having someone to talk to every single night until you both fall asleep...a dark, quiet room is the last place in the world you want to be at bedtime.

You will always have someone to stick up for you when things get hard...to tell you that you're doing the right thing, or perhaps to tell you that you're doing the wrong thing.

Lucy, Burton is my best friend. She always has been, and she always will be. I am confident that Mia will be yours too. She may push you over, or squeeze you too hard, or steal attention now...but one day, you're going to be struggling with something and Mia will be the only person in the world you'll want to turn to. (I won't even mention the things that Mom doesn't want to hear about...i.e. how much you look like her, which will come in quite handy when she has a legal I.D., you know, in case you want to buy a lottery ticket or rent a car or vote...)

So, on your 1st birthday Lucy, I'm imagining you posing with Mia at your highschool graduation, or standing up with Mia as her Maid of Honor, or bothering Mia about giving you a niece or a nephew...all of these things are things that I enjoy as a part of being Burton's little sister...and I can't wait for you to be able to enjoy these things with Mia.

I love you so much, sweet Lucy, Happy Birthday.

Welcome to the blog, Burton.


"One's sister is part of one's essential self...an eternal presence of one's heart, soul, and memory."
-Susan Cabil

Sorry, Dad.

I was scolded by my father last night for not having posted a new blog in so long. My father, the English major, reminded me of the importance of continuing to practice my writing and of simply exercising the discipline each week to get it done. What a pain in the ass.

Just kidding. After a brief flashback of a meeting with an English professor in college, I started to think about why I haven't posted yet this summer. The answer that I came up with is that I have simply been preoccupied. I must say that I am not sad to see June leave us, but perhaps the mere fact that I felt inspired to write again on July 1st is a good omen for this coming month.

I have had a lot on my plate. Some of the troubles I've been facing are probably pretty common for single, 24 year old nannies...but I'm quite certain that some of them are not.

For example, not long after I posted my last blog, I adopted a kitten. Not long after that, I almost killed said kitten. A freak accident during a workout, (mine not the kitten's) led to a very long night in the emergency animal hospital, my dad making several bad jokes about re-making E.R. with vets, (and one okay joke about Dr. "Bark" Green) and my mom very generously handing over her credit card to save my kitten, Calpurnia, from severe head trauma, which may or may not have been my fault. (welcome to the blog, mom.)

Alas, Calpurnia made a full, if not a little bit miraculous, recovery.

As I said, some of my problems this summer have been your everyday run-of-the-mill problems. And some have not.

I won't bore you with the rest of my troubles, they aren't nearly as traumatizing or entertaining as the kitten story. But today, as I was thinking about the first month of summer and how hard it's been...I tried instead to concentrate on those things that made June a little bit easier...the things that made June great. Here's what I came up with:

-Lucy started crawling and pulling herself up to stand. She waves, and claps, and does "oh my" and "so big" on command and it may very well be the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life.

-Mia's personality continues to grow stronger and more adorable and more challenging each and every day. She has learned how to swim, makes Lucy laugh constantly, and greets me with, "Brooksie, I was missing you today"

-My brother and his wife bought their first house, my sister-in-law was commissioned by the United Methodist Church and will be starting her work as a minister soon. (welcome to the blog, Elaine.)

-The Chicago White Sox went on an 11 game winning streak, the longest since 1961, and in two weeks my boys of summer went from a 9 1/2 game deficit to being within 1 1/2 games of the first place Twins. (!)

-My cousin, Anne Lamb (better known to you as "the screamer",) has joined me in the Nursery this summer which has vastly increased the amount of time that I get to spend with her.

-My best friend, Susan, came home from Chicago for a visit and at a family dinner we recounted stories from our childhood that have been told over and over again, but that made me laugh harder than I have in a really long time. (welcome to the blog, q.)

-New seasons of True Blood and Entourage premiered.

-The FIFA World Cup.

-Wimbeldon.

-I turned 24 and a half.

Life's hard, it happens. But in the midst of all that, there's so much more. There's laughter and love...friends hold you up, babies laugh, baseball teams win, and kittens make miraculous recoveries.

Here's hoping that, for you, June was wonderful. And that if it wasn't, you have as much love and laughter in your life as I do to carry you through. July will be better.