She's Six!!

Six years ago today I went out to lunch with my husband.  Our moms were at a small festival in our town.  I had 5 weeks left in my pregnancy, but a lot of problems so we were only expecting it to go for another week or so.  I had been in and out of the hospital the whole time with various problems; pre-eclampsia, hyperemesis, SPD (basically the softening and moving of the pelvic bones too early in the pregnancy), the list went on and on.  My body does not like being pregnant basically.  So when I was feeling a little "off" again, I thought nothing of it.  I would go into L&D, get some IV fluids, some meds to lower my blood pressure, spend a couple hours and come home.  I left my husband and older daughter, Mackenzie, at home - no need to drag everyone in just to sit around.

This time would be different.

I knew something was different when the nurses kept looking at the results from the fetal monitor and blood pressure and ordered another round of meds.  When they started asking where Rob was (they knew us by this point) I was getting a little more concerned.  Then they started in with, "How do you feel?  Do you feel okay?"  Which they always asked, but not this much.  I finally asked what was going on just as my Dr walked in.  Who called her?  She asked me again if Rob was with me and when I said no, she got me the phone and told me he has half an hour to get there.  Apparently my blood pressure was not coming down this time and the baby (yet unnamed that that point) was stressing out.

He made it barely in time.  By the time he walked in I was ready to go, they through scrubs on him and away we went. 

Mackenzie was the first one to come in to see her.  Makes sense she Mackenzie got to choose the babys name from a list (Phoebe, Dharma, Jacinda, Gwendolyn and Mandalay, which got vetoed early on so the dog ended up with it).  We all know which name Mackenzie chose.  Or should I say which name chose Mackenzie.  It was like it was meant to be.  An unusual name for an unusual child.

As a toddler she would wake up from her nap and fill her bed with all kinds of things.  She still does this in a way.  She does not ever sleep through the night.  Every night she wakes up and spends some time playing.  Sometimes we go into her room in the morning and find every toy out.  Sometimes she is under her bed.

She always had a bizarre sense of humor and was able to entertain herself pretty well.

And she has always had a mysterious side that made you wonder, and afraid, of what she is thinking.

Dharma walks to her own path of life.  She drags people onto it with her.  She has a way of manipulating and convincing people that her way is the best way and before you know it, you've agreed and you don't quite know why.  She's been like this since before the beginning.  And I think she'll be like this until the end.

Happy 6th Birthday, Dharma.  Life would definitely not be the same without you in it.