Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Three


Yesterday my first baby turned three. I can't quite remember the tiny dollop Lu was when the midwife first placed her in my arms but I remember that I recognised her immediately, because she was formed from a piece of my heart, much as Eve came from the rib of Adam. I had no expectations of how she would be but I knew when I held her that Lucy was exactly what we desired, even if we didn't know what that was; she was the perfect fit for our family though we had no plans about how we would manage the jigsaw.

But even as I recognised her, I couldn't possibly have foreseen what she has become. How could we know that she would be so remarkable and challenging and divine? That she would correct my pronunciation of dinosaur names, look at pictures of tornadoes on Flickr, sing when no-one is noticing but never ever dance. I would never have imagined the Lu would love a very few people, and love them with unwavering passion and loyalty; that she would spend hours in her head, dragging us along behind as Mummy raptor and Skippy and Fireman Sam and Daddy Wolf and puppy Nell and a dozen other characters. I didn't know she would climb rocks; wake up crying because she forgot to dream; argue the point; paint storms; love roses. When someone looks at her she stares back unsmiling, unwavering. She won't walk when she can skip or run or gallop like a horse. She owns the space she moves through; she rarely wears clothes, she likes to pee in the garden - who knew this is the person she'd become?

I've never understood why people want a girl. You don't get a girl, you get someone so unique, so unexpected, so utterly and completely themselves, there's not much connection to whatever it is we think a girl will be.

I wanted a child and I got a Lu, and she is exactly the right Lu for me.

Happy birthday, best Boo, love Mamma.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

A little while ago I said I wished the lad would learn to walk so I didn't have to carry him everywhere, and a relative (whose son is a few months older) said "Nah, they learn to walk and then you have to pick them up and carry them so that they go in the right direction". "Obviously," I added, "I want him to learn to walk, and become unfailingly obedient, at the same time".

Except I don't. Because watching him wander off because he wants to know what's around the corner is fascinating. It just makes life rather slower. Letting go of who you think your kid should be is really really hard work though...

Kris said...

It is hard, and also liberating for all of us, parents and kids alike, I think, to choose to do things because they feel right, not because they are expected.

Kez said...

Happy birthday to your gorgeous Lu!

Anonymous said...

Gosh, I never realised your daughter is so close in age to mine. Really loved these precious little observations about her too. Lu sounds fascinating.

Anonymous said...

whoops! we were a day early on the phone. Hope you all had a lovely Lu b'day.

blackbird said...

That's such a perfect tribute to her. She sounds like the kind of girl I would have liked to have.

Bird Bath said...

Happy birthday to Lu! Three is a wonderful,magical age....forever learning -but I think we can also learn much from them. So precious.

Victoria said...

That's beautiful peice of writing. How wonderful to think she can one day read this and get a real sense of the person she was in this little moment of time. And isn't it amazing that a 3 year old is such a "Person", I think it is.
I hope she had a really good day.
p.s. long live the house down the road!

kurrabikid said...

That's a fantastic post. Your daughter sounds like she'll get on well in life.

Ariane said...

Happy Birthday beautiful girl.

I wanted a girl. I already had two boys, so it was as much for comparison and variety as anything else. But I'm hanging out to find out who she is.

Enjoy your delight as she grows. :)

Jodi said...

Happy Birthday to Lu,
Happy Birthday to Lu,
Happy Birthday dear Lucy,
Happy Birthday to you.
From Daisy and Miss Seven (Ivy)xox

Hold on tight Kris, its going to be a fun ride from here on in with lots of highs and some lows that come with a "Big Kid" 3 year old!!!

Anonymous said...

whackadoo, you got an aries, and she sounds just like one. :D

i'm one of them also. its quite like that.
3 is a strange age, we have found.

Rachael said...

Hello, I found you through a recent blog rambling about greyhounds (I am a bit mad about them, to say the least). I am originally from a small town in TAS! I have a 2 year old daughter - they are just magic. Lovely blog.