Our Spunky Princess Turns Six
February 21, 2007, Peyton Jane is born at 10:51 am. |
It was a Wednesday morning, and I was induced, so everything went according to plan; Landry spent the day at preschool and came to see Peyton that evening. It was a sweet meeting; Landry didn't ask to send her back and seemed smitten with her new baby sister.
But the moment that I remember the most about her birth was actually the morning after. I woke up and was alone in the hospital room--that rare moment of solitude. Jason had gone to get breakfast, and they had not brought Peyton back from her night in the nursery (yes, she spent her first night in the nursery so we could get some rest. No judgment, please.) I remember lying there and thinking, "I am now the mother of TWO daughters." The weight of that reality grabbed hold of my heart and has not let go since. I remember crying as the wave of this realization washed over me--sobbing at the shear magnitude of all of the joy and all of the responsibility that being a mother of daughters brings. Maybe it was the postpartum hormones beginning their happy dance through my body, maybe it was the uneasy silence of that hospital room--all I know is that I had one of the most cathartic cries of my life the day after Peyton was born. I prayed...sobbed...choked these words to God, "Please don't let me just be the mother they need. Please help me be the mother these girls deserve..." I still pray this prayer every day.
Already a Daddy's Girl |
But after a few days at home, we noticed that Peyton slept ALL of the time and wouldn't wake easily to eat. Our super-easy baby was perhaps a bit too chill. It got to the point where we had to strip off her clothes and use a wet cloth to rouse her enough for a feeding. I tried so hard to remain calm and not resort to my typical FREAK OUT mode, but my mother's intuition kept gnawing at me---something is wrong...something is wrong...
Our Sleeping Beauty |
Our fabulous pediatrician reassured us that Peyton would only lose brain cells if her Hypothyroidism went untreated. She got us an appointment with a wonderful endocrinologist at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, and Peyton started taking Synthroid, or as we fondly call them "magic pills," at three weeks old. Her endocrinologist thinks she was not born with a thyroid gland (I thought that came "standard" on babies, but apparently not). Peyton will have to take Synthroid for the rest of her life and monitor her TSH levels with frequent blood tests. In the big scheme of things, that's easy-peezy.
Peyton wakes up thanks to those "magic pills." |
But being Peyton's mother is not always easy. My peacemaker tendencies and conflict avoidance do not always jive with her stubborn MY WAY mentality; she definitely saves the drama for her mama. It's in those frustrating moments--those tear-my-hair-out-kind-of-days when I have drawn that line in the proverbial sands of parenthood for the showdown of the wills--when I see that stubborn streak of my strong-willed girl come out in full force--it's in those maddening moments that I can't help but remember that sleepy little lump that wouldn't wake up for the first few weeks of her life. And it's in those moments that I can't help but remember--this is what you wanted--a strong girl who has a mind of her own. You got exactly what you wanted, Amianne. She is more than okay--she's a fighter. And even in those moments of utter frustration, I am grateful to God. I feel blessed beyond measure.
And look at her now--such SPUNK, such SASS. If you know our Peyton, you know that she's truly a LIFE FORCE.
Happy 6th birthday to my Miss Sassy Pants. I try my best every day to be the mother that you deserve.
Happy 6th birthday to my Miss Sassy Pants. I try my best every day to be the mother that you deserve.
Peyton Jane |
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