Juggernaut

Juggernaut: 1) a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path.  2) anything requiring blind devotion or cruel sacrifice.

That sums up a large part of B's personality.  Lucky for us.  J once asked me, "Why does B never run out of madness?"  Good question.

She acts like a spitfire, she yells like a banshee, she turns our world upside down on a regular basis. And yet, somehow, our family just wouldn't be complete without her.
She makes us whole.

We probably won't sell her, after all.

Because she is a beautiful little soul.  And as much as she drives us all crazy at times, we fully realize just how blessed we are to have her in our lives. 

She brings so much joy and laughter into our home. She makes us see things from her point of view. She makes the world a new and exciting place all over again. Sometimes this excitement brings squeals and laughter, sometimes it brings tears. But it is all exciting, nonetheless.

Who knew that helping with laundry could be quite so much fun?  I've had lots of little helpers over the years.  None of them have taken their service quite so seriously as to venture INTO the dryer.  Until now, of course.

And really, why is it so important to take our clothes off before getting in the bath?  It just adds an agonizing extra few minutes of wait time before the splashing can begin.  Aren't the clothes in need of cleaning, too?

I would argue here, that the shoes really didn't need to get dunked.  But B disagreed.  And since she was two steps ahead of me as we walked into the bathroom, she won that debate.  She was able to take them with her as she dove head first into the water.

And speaking of bath time. It makes her morph into an octopus. I swear she sprouts extra limbs just so she can grab more things, more quickly. And so she can slosh more water onto the floor. Sometimes when her bath time ends, there is actually more water out of the tub than is left in the tub.

B also happens to be quite the book aficionado.  She loves books with such fervor that we will likely have none left when she is done with them.  She loves to lick them, carry them, look at them right side up or upside down, climb on them, throw them, play with them, and sleep with them.  But best of all, she likes to climb on someone's lap (this would be anyone who sits still long enough) and have them show her the amazing, beautiful, colorful world that books contain.

But she is far from passive in her selection of books. Any old book simply will NOT do. She definitely has her favorites. Which change from day to day. If I happen to try to read a book that has been removed from her current favorites list, she is quick to let me know by hitting, tossing, and/or slamming the book closed. Some days before naps, we have to go through this careful book selection process a number of times before I finally manage to select one that is approved. Then she will settle in, leaning her sweet little head against me and eagerly help me point to all the fascinating things. She is also vigilant about making sure I keep up the proper timing. Some pages merit a leisurely perusal of all the page contains, whereas others only get a cursory glance before she forcefully turns the page.

B loves all things fast and spinning.  When she hears a beat, she simply must dance.  She loves to be spun and thrown and tickled and chased.  And her delightful gurgles, coos and giggles are all the payment we need for the time we spend with her.

She has even inspired a crawling race or two.  She is adored by her siblings.  They humor her, and protect her, and smother her with their smiles and affection.

She doesn't necessarily smother us with affection in return.  But she has recently learned two small things that will secure our adoration of her forever more.  First, she says uh-oh.  All the time.  Because she is always dropping, throwing or otherwise knocking something over.  I guess her octopus arms sprout when she is out of the bath, too.

But her sweet uh-ohs are the kind housed in that irresistable baby voice that makes you go all mushy and smiley, no matter how exasperating current conditions might be. 

The second thing she has learned recently, is to give hugs.  The kids actually argue over who is getting more hugs from B.  Because they are marvelous.  Simply marvelous.  Her hugs have nothing to do with her arms.  They are all about her soft, fuzzy little bald-ish head.  She just leans that sweet head into you and rests it there for a moment.  And then she's off.  They are not long, she does not linger.  Don't blink or you'll miss them.  Sometimes she misgauges her target, but that never stops her.  She just keeps leaning and keeps leaning until she eventually reaches the floor.  And she gives the floor her hug before bounding off on another adventure.

She keeps us all on our toes, because she's always on hers.  Sometimes literally. 

I've had to redo most of our childproofing, and even that doesn't always succeed in keeping her out of things.  She is determined, to say the least.

And I love every bit of her.  Maybe all the more so because of the sacrifices I have had to make in meeting her high level of neediness since she arrived 15 months ago.  We are connected, she and I, in a way that transends the frustrations of a day, or a month, or even a year.

For better or worse, she is mine.  And her quirky, stubborn, goofy, loud little self is a perfect fit in my family.

What a truly amazing, joyful thing it will be to watch her grow up.