I'm talking, of course, about my daughter, Evie.
When we got pregnant with her almost seven years ago, we had been trying to conceive for nine months. It seemed like a really long time back then. But even after nine months, I had no real reason to think I was infertile. So, when Evie came along, I was thrilled. But I didn't realize that she was a miracle.
Now, after more than five years of trying to conceive another baby, I realize what a blessing Evie was. The fact that we conceived her with so little difficulty is amazing. And my pregnancy was perfect. I was only mildly sick, I didn't have any overwhelming hunger or cravings, and all the weight I gained was baby and baby-related material that pretty much disappeared as soon as she was born. And I loved being pregnant. Feeling her growing and moving inside of me was magical. I'm sure there were times when I complained about my swollen ankles and the difficulties that come with being shaped like a baby killer whale, but for the most part, I truly enjoyed being pregnant.
And it's really no wonder that I want to do it again, because aside from having a gold-star pregnancy, I have an amazing kid. From day one she was beautiful, and she's only gotten prettier as time has passed. She was always a sweet baby, too. She was very calm, very happy, very well-behaved. She's not perfect, but she's closer to perfect than I've ever been.Add to her sweet personality the fact that she quotes movies. From the time she was just learning to talk, she would quote movies and TV shows. She has an ear for memorization, and she always nailed the tone so we could tell exactly what she was quoting. When she was three, she performed the "Pudge the Fish" monologue from Lilo and Stitch at a family reunion talent show. Three years old! And when she was a toddler and she got angry at me, she would yell at me in quotes from Shrek II: "Mama!!! For five minutes, not be self? FOR FIVE MINUTES!!!"
She just fits our family perfectly.
And she's so talented. I knew when she was growing inside me that she was going to be a dancer, because she was constantly in motion. And as a baby, before she could even walk, she would bounce to music with near-perfect rhythm. Now, of course, she's six years old. She's been taking dance classes since she was about two, and it shows. She's very graceful, and points her toes like a pro. Sometimes she doesn't want to go to dance class because she's busy playing, or because she's tired, but I've already told her that she's not allowed to quit dance. She can quit karate if she wants to, but dance is here to stay. She's got too much talent to give it up, and I want her to develop that talent throughout her life. Evie has it in her to be an incredible dancer.
Evie is good at more than just dance, though. I started teaching her piano this school year, and she is flying through the books. I'm not even sure she's learning to read the music, though, because I play it for her once and she knows it. It's a little problematic! And reading books is the same way - she's got such a great memory, if she's ever heard the book before, she can read it using her memory and educated guesses more than actually sounding out words. So I think she's picking up piano and reading really quickly, but she might just be tricking me. Either way, she's got a gift.
Evie is a natural model. From the time she was a baby, she would look right at the camera. It wasn't hard to get her to smile, and as she got older, she just warmed up to the camera even more. She rarely does that forced picture smile that so many kids get - her smile is usually very warm and natural looking. And she poses herself like a pro, and takes direction extremely well. She's just very photogenic! And I think a lot of that comes from her natural acting ability. That, and because she's pretty. But she really is a natural actress. She hasn't really done a lot of acting before, but if you tell her to pretend something, she does it almost flawlessly. That's why her smiles are so natural, because she's drawing her emotion from things that actually make her happy! And you should hear her do a country accent, or a werewolf voice. That amazing ear of hers and her ability to mimic what she hears is ridiculous.
Naturally, Evie is also very smart. I say naturally because Ben and I are both pretty smart ourselves. And Evie is definitely our child. She knew pretty much the whole curriculum of kindergarten before she even started. She tests quite a bit higher than most kids her age. This can lead to a little trouble sometimes, because she acts out every once in a while at school - possibly because she's bored - but for the most part she's a very good, very attentive, generally well-behaved student. At least, that's what I've heard!
One of my favorite things about Evie, though, is her faith. She loves the Lord. She's only six, but she already has a personal relationship with her Savior. She knows she can call on Him anytime she needs something. This morning, for example, she was feeling a little queasy. But she didn't have a fever, so I couldn't justify keeping her home. So she asked Ben to give her a blessing before school so that she could feel healthy. She had faith that the Lord could make her feel better.
And she does her part for the Lord, as well. She doesn't just ask Him to do everything for her, she does what she can to reciprocate. She's trying to be like Jesus. Evie tries to befriend lonely kids. She stands up for what's right, even when it's hard. She gladly goes through her toys and clothes whenever another kid is in need, and donates what she has. She says her prayers every night. She's always looking for ways to help other people. She's an amazing example to those around her. And when we were told that we needed a special medical procedure to get pregnant again, and that we would have to pay out of pocket, Evie offered me her allowance and chore money. I didn't take it, but I was incredibly moved that she offered it to me.
I'm honored and humbled to be Evie's mother. I feel inadequate at times, because she is so amazing. I try my hardest to show her my love every single day. And whenever we argue, I always try to follow it up with a flood of love and kindness, so that she never doubts my love for her. I never lie to her, either, because she deserves all the truth and understanding I can help her achieve. I'm certainly not a perfect mother. But somehow, God chose me to raise this incredible little girl, my little miracle. I hope that I can do a good job, and give Evie her best chance. She has amazing potential, and she deserves to reach that potential. It's my job to help her, and I would do anything for her. So I'll try to be the mom she deserves.
I love you, Evie. You're my angel.
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