I love Lucy.

Having a baby often brings up the question, "do you want a boy or a girl?" It's kind of a silly question. It's not as if I can do anything about it now. Nonetheless, speculation is fun. Naturally, people assume I would love to have another girl. Indeed, it would be lovely for Lucy to have a sister.

Just the other day, I was discussing this with a friend. My friend's comment was, "A girl would be nice, but boys are so much easier to raise."

So I've been thinking. Are boys easier than girls? Having the somewhat unique perspective of raising a boy and a girl, born within seconds of each other, I'm not so sure one is easier than the other. It's certainly a different experience, and there are challenges unique to each, but is one easy, and the other hard? I don't think so.

I think sometimes girls get a bad rap. Are they overly emotional? Yes. Do they cry at the drop of a hat and hold grudges for months and months? Um, yeah. Sometimes they do that too. But those things are but a drop in the bucket when I compare them to all the things I love about my little girl.

Do you know what I love about Lucy?

Lucy is my rock. Somehow, in her own limited scope of understanding, Lucy seems to know what this mothering thing is all about. She is so aware, and is there beside me in a second, ready to roll her little pink sleeves up and jump into what ever needs doing feet first. She is kind and compassionate and cares for those around her with sweetness and grace and complete sincerity.

Yesterday, when I collapsed on the couch in an effort to chase away the nausea long enough to fix dinner for my family, Henry decided to come and collapse with me. Because, you know, that's what 2 year olds do when they see Mommys trying to rest. He climbed, he crawled, he wiggled all over me, his little knees and elbows sharp against my tired frame. It only took one word...

"Lucy?" I called. She rushed right over.

"Henry," she said. "Mommy is tired and needs to rest. Do you want to come play a game with me?" She hoisted him onto her back and took him across the room where he was quickly engaged and thoroughly entertained by his sweet big sister.

Lucy's strength of character, her goodness and kindness and willingness to help are but a glimpse of the amazing woman I know she will become. Mostly, I am humbled and so very grateful for the little girl that she is today. She is a ray of delightful sunshine, and she is just so stinkin' fun to be around.

I'm glad she's different than her brothers. It takes all different kinds of people to make a family work, and in our family, she fits.



PS. Went to the doctor yesterday. All is well. AND... it's only one baby. I am so absolutely relieved. I can do one baby! My doctor was relieved too. In his words, "No one person should have to work that hard more than once." It was hard to bring two into this world. It didn't kill me, but I feared it might a second time around. So it's only one. And I think it's a girl. I mean, sure the picture only looked like a little peanut. But seriously. It was a dainty little peanut. All is healthy and perfectly normal, and that is the best news of all. Due date? April 18th. Which I'm pretty sure is somewhere around 3 1/2 years away.