Why I Didn't Want to Have a Girl: A story with sugar and spice, and zits and maniacal laughter through tears, and everything nice.
In 2010, the Wallies and I were in the room with the ultrasound technician. She was chatty, strange, and coveted by every pregnant woman in the region for her gender-proclaiming accuracy. I didn't need her super-power skill, though. I knew. My pregnancies were totally opposite. With WallyV I was so nauseous I hated life. I love food. I think of food constantly. And nothing proved this more than…
Brothers and Sisters: Our Partners in Crime
Last night we spent the night at my parent's house. The kids slept in one room (Vivvi in a crib and WV in a bed), and we slept next door. This changed up our usual routine in a way that may end up changing up our routine forever.
Kids Say the Darndest Things, Christmas Edition! Plus, our Christmas Video!
We Otts love Christmas. We are that family who listens to Christmas music starting November 1. We try to take the week off between Christmas and New Years so we can properly enjoy the 8 million Christmas parties we have between our two families. We spend ages coming up with the perfect family Christmas Card, and since WV was born, we have tried to outdo ourselves every year. A few years ago I…
My Two Little Differents—Or, Why We Are Who We Are.
Around the time Vivvi turned one, I started to meet her. For her first 6 months, like any new mom, I was just trying to stay awake enough to not drive into oncoming traffic. For her second 6 months, we were madly house hunting in a market that suddenly became the most competitive it had been in a decade. Vivvi survived on her own somehow. But as her personality started to pop, I realized why she…
Dear Vivvi—A letter to my one year old
Vivvi, my girl. My sweet and salty little renegade wonder. I cannot believe you are one, and at the same time I can hardly remember you as a helpless little ragdoll last April—it feels like so long ago. I feel bad that I hardly remember, but I mostly blame you for my lack of memory. You have proven to be such an independent starlet that I can't remember you needing me so much. Ever since you…
Taking on the Big Brother Role
Someone asked me the other day a common question: how is Wally Ben handling being a big brother? And the honest answer is, "Like a champ." Before Vivi was born, we wondered if our little drama king would be okay with being dethroned. You can't really guess with a guy who occasionally, mid-tantrum, will run to the nearest mirror to watch himself cry. But he actually seems to love his new role as…
Kids say the darndest things, wake up edition.
Vivi didn't sleep well last night. (Her pattern for the past few weeks.) Last night she slept so poorly, in fact, that at 2:45 after I had fed her and rocked her and was awake for a few hours trying to get her to stay asleep when I set her down, I gave up and decided to let her cry. She was fed, she was tired, so it was my only option if I wanted a wink of sleep myself. After a half hour of…
My kids, side by side
I am told all the time that Wally Ben looks like me. Just as often, I'm told he looks like Wally IV. My theory is that he looks just like Wally IV when he is serious and angry. Otherwise he looks like me (when he is happy and laughing, of course). This is a joke, although his brow furrowing is truly Wally IV-ish. I expected Vivi to look like Wally V had. When Wally Ben was newborn, he resembled…
Wally Ben: On being a big brother.
It finally happened--my mommy went to the hospital to get rid of that big old belly and pick up Vivi. I stayed with DeeDee and Gramps for a few days. When I went to the hospital to meet her, my sister was very sleepy. Actually, she's still always very sleepy. She gave me a few presents, like an Incredibles book and a Cars movie, so I liked her pretty much right away. I said I wanted her to crawl,…
My girl, Vivi!
My girl. My little girl. Yes, I know, I was anti-girl. When we walked out of the gender-revealing ultrasound, I was sad. I had high hopes for another boy. A buddy for Wally Ben. A little person that I knew how to take care of because I had been taking care of one just like him for 2 years. The clothes helped me get over it a little. And everyone told me I was lucky to have one of each. "How…