On babies, haircuts and forging better relations with my girls

On Saturday, we met my niece for the first time. She is the cutest baby girl I've ever seen. She is my brother's daughter. So my parents went from just two grandchildren a few years ago to four with one on the way in just a few months. How exciting. Back when I was in the midst of treatment and transplant, my brother, Jason, and his wife were having a baby and I seriously wondered if I would be alive to see him or get to know him. Flash forward a few years later and I know Dylan. It's taken him awhile but he actually has started to like me. Just last month, he actually smiles at me when he sees me and lets me pick him up and hold his hand. For whatever reason, babies hate me until they're two or two and a half years old. Then they won't leave me alone. This new baby girl is the exception. She likes me at just seven months old. I held her, she didn't cry or look at me in disgust, and she even laughed and smiled. Wow.




And on Saturday morning, when I Siena woke up, I looked at her in horror. "What did you do to your bangs?" Yep, my child, who will be nine years old in just two weeks, decided to hack her bangs almost to her scalp. WTF isn't this something that children do when they are tiny? Siena did this when she was three years old ...


But oh no-- she did it again.

So I was just done. For a year I've been telling her that she will either take care of her growing hair or I was going to get it chopped. And she doesn't like to wash it, or brush it, or do anything with it. The bang-thing was the final straw. I made good on my promise. After hanging with the new baby, I took her to the salon and we chopped it short. And oh my gosh, I think she looks so dang adorable that I can't stop hugging her.


She cried, she was mad at me, but she likes it. As she should. She looks like Madeline.

And on Sunday, we took the girls and headed up the canyons to Midway. So fun and beautiful. Did I ever say how amazing I think Utah is? I sincerely love it here. I am so into nature and natural beauty since getting sick and I have found heaven.

 

 

Since school has started, I've made good (great?) on my promise to tuck my girls into bed every night and to reinstitute Mommy-Daughter dates. Ok, so granted that it's just been going on two weeks but it's amazing. Especially for Morgan, who is going through a really tough time these days, it has helped. She looks forward to our time together. Tonight at the dinner table (yep, I'm still cooking those meals so we eat together), Morgan said that she had things to talk to me about during "chat time." She was actually thinking about it, planning it, and looking forward to it. Today was Mommy-Morgan date. It was simple, we just did a little shopping. Yesterday was Siena-Mommy date and we went to Rita's for ice cream and then stopped at Costco for samples. Simple, but one-on-one time. I love it. I put my phone away (really hard for me) and we talk. Imagine that.

And on a parting thought, and totally random, Siena disappeared to her room tonight for about 30 minutes. She made a mermaid tail. Now that is creative talent.

And, lastly, I am in the midst of planning another trip. I am thinking Dominican Republic or Vietnam either in October  or one week after Christmas. Some all-inclusive resort where it is me, the beach, and a book. Looking looking looking.... Just the thought makes me smile.