Meet Wren

Wren is 3 months old today! [That is, she was when I wrote this-- on July 2nd] I know it's cliché, but seriously-- where did the time go? Has one quarter of the year really gone by since we welcomed her into our lives? It's so hard to imagine what life was like without her.

Wren is such a sweet, good-natured baby. She is usually perfectly content to just lay on the floor and watch everything that goes on around her. But actually, now that the kids are out of school her floor time is pretty limited since someone always wants to hold her. The other three love her so much, and it's been fun to see how they each interact with her.

Elly has definitely taken on the Responsible Big Sister/2nd Mother role. She is always eager to rescue Wren from crying, even for a minute or two, while I'm busy. One evening, maybe a couple of weeks after Wren was born, I was cooking dinner and Matt was working in the yard. Wren was a little fussy and I had to just let her cry. Elly came inside on an errand for Matt, heard Wren crying, and said (in an exasperated, harried-mother tone), "Just a minute, Wren, I'll be right there!" I definitely got the impression that she disapproved of my negligence in putting dinner preparations ahead of Wren's happiness. :) She'll be such a great mother someday.

Hite has embraced this 3rd sister like the others and takes pride in making her smile. He loves to try out new silly faces and dance moves that will produce bigger and bigger smiles. His Kindergarten teacher told me that she overheard Hite and his cousin Caden (who also has a baby sister) arguing over whose sister is the best. :) I love this picture of Hite trying to soothe Wren with his whistling (he is an awesome whistler):

And how has Rilla adjusted to losing her "baby of the family" status after 3 1/2 years? Pretty well, actually. I mean, I did notice a little more whining and tantrums at first, but I know it's not because she consciously resented Wren or anything like that. I love hearing her talk and sing to Wren in her little high-pitched voice. She always calls her "Wrenny-Girl," but it sounds more like "Whenny Gowa." I love it.

Wren happens to be very advanced in the happiness department. In fact, her Aunt Tara calls her a "Smiling prodigy." :) She smiled her first smile at only 10 days old! I know what you're thinking: "yeah, right. It was gas." But I swear, I was talking and smiling at her while I held her, and she totally looked right into my eyes, spit out her binky, and smiled at me. She even smiled later that day for Grandma Peterson to prove I wasn't making it up, and has been smiling ever since. She also laughed at only 2 1/2 months, and I think my others were closer to 3 1/2 or 4 months old. It was too cute-- I was buttoning her jammies up under her chin and it must have tickled her. She is in heaven when she's naked or getting her diaper changed. That's when we get the best grins and giggles. :)

It’s fun to have a baby with some hair that’s visible for a change! She’s no Whatcott baby or anything (my sister Cindy’s girls are practically born with thick, dark pigtails and bangs), but her hair is definitely brown and almost an inch long in some places! So compared to what we’re used to, Wren’s hair is really something! :)

One of Wren’s most unique characteristics is the Port-Wine Stain on her right leg. It’s kind of hard to see in certain lights, but you can clearly see it in this picture. Her doctor told us about lazer treatments that can all but remove them these days, and maybe someday she’ll want to go that route, but I actually love it and hope she never does! To me it’s a reminder of how Wren is our little miracle baby. She almost didn’t make it past the first trimester of pregnancy, but if you want to hear that story, you'll have to ask me about it in person someday....

In case you can’t tell, I sure do love this baby girl of mine. She brightens my days and brings our family together in a way that only a baby can because we all adore her.