Thursday's Child

 "THURSDAY'S CHILD HAS FAR TO GO."

Traditional Nursery Rhyme Roud #19526

 My Olivia was born on a Thursday. I had gone in for a routine check up the day before. As the nurse looked at the print out of her heart she looked concerned. She told me that she wanted to do an extra 10 minutes. It was during those 10 minutes that Olivia's heart rate plummeted. My doctor came in and told me it was time to have my baby. I was admitted into the hospital and Brett and I spent a sleepless night as they monitored Olivia. By the morning I could not even roll over in the bed without her heart rate dropping. My doctor came in and explained what was happening. Olivia was not getting oxygen (the reason was still unknown), and it was like she was holding her breath each time. I was not even having contractions and she was struggling, we opted to have the C-section and get her out. The nurses were amazing, as they knew we were wanting a natural delivery they asked my doctor if we could have our CD player in the OR. They agreed! Olivia was delivered to the sweet strains of "Gabriel's Oboe" by  Ennio Morricone. The cord was wrapped around her neck three times, and was the cause of her lack of oxygen. There have been no side effects. It is a miracle.

It has been wonderful being able to watch her grow and develop. Olivia has been blessed with a remarkable mind. She has a thirst for learning and is quick to understand new and difficult concepts. She loves to read, and this skill has aided her as she discovers through books. I find such joy when she comes to me with a new poem that has caught her eye, or something that she found intriguing that she wants to share, "did you know that the largest frog in the world is as large as a cat?". Probably because she loves to learn and read, she loves to travel. Frequently she will comment, "we should go to Italy" (this was after reading about Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii), "or maybe India, so I could ride an elephant." Yet with her knowledge and wisdom comes a gentleness and innocence. When I ask her what she wants to do or be when she grows up, she says she wants to have a farm. 

She LOVES being outside. Playing, running, jumping, getting dirty. She also loves animals. I think she likes to observe the wondrous miracles of creation and life. She has outstanding energy and gloriously long legs. She doesn't know what to do with them sometimes...

 Out of the many wonderful things about Olivia, one that I find particularly endearing is her loyalty and love for her family. She protects her brothers, and teaches them -- or should I say instructs :) She involves them in her creative play. When Noah was born I was concerned he would never know what his name was because he was always assigned a different character in her games. She gives hugs and kisses. She helps and encourages. She is the epitome of a big sister. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to watch her grow and develop and see exactly how far she will go.