Darcy...

      

This is Darcy. My middle child. My dreamer. My beautiful, funny, little monkey. My story teller...

When Darcy was born I felt an instant need to protect her. She was born with some minor kidney problems and was on antibiotics before breast milk. It broke my heart. But with time and love, she overcame the kidney complaint. And then she was diagnosed with 2 turned eyes. Devastated doesn't even come close to how I felt. Everyone wants smooth sailing when it comes to their child. And a turned eye or two is really nothing when you compare it to the things other families have to deal with, but I was gutted. 

At the time Darcy was diagnosed with the turned eyes, we had an Au Pair from Holland living with us. Yvonne had a glass eye. This was so critical in helping me gain perspective throughout this. The stress was mostly due to how isolated we are. Every appointment meant a 1400km round trip to the coast with 3 small children. All for 15 minutes with a specialist. It's funny how you just keep putting one foot in front of the other during times like this. But Yvonne was there throughout all of it. Darcy wore glasses and a patch for over 2 years. Just before her 3rd birthday, she had a double eye operation to correct the turns. It was a fantastic success. 

    

Darcy is now 3 1/2 and she still wears glasses to help with her vision. Her specialist told us that she will be able to wear contacts when she turns 15 and can't get a boyfriend. Of course, that won't have anything to do with her glasses, but rather her old fashioned mother. 

If any of my children were ever going to have glasses, I'm glad it was Darcy. She has the personality to fit them. She is gorgeous without glasses of course, but when she puts them on she becomes a larger than life personality. She couldn't care less what people think and say, and she has ample confidence to boot.

Darcy has an infectious laugh. She tells amazing stories that you would bet your life were real. And then she'll add that "our house was flying" and you realise it was all imagined. Once we were driving in the car, and she told me that "Dad had 'tapped the baby lamb on the head because it was sick'." I was sure this couldn't be right, and asked for clarification. She assured me that he had done it earlier that week in a very specific location. It was all so detailed! Later that day I checked the facts with Charlie, who assured me that we didn't even have any baby lambs at that time. What a story teller!!! Then when you mention this to Darcy later, she gives you a 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' grin that automatically makes you forget what you were going to say anyway.

Darcy almost NEVER looks into a camera. It gives her a far away, dreamer quality in photos. (See picture below). I often wonder where she is, and what she thinks about. However we DID get the most gorgeous school photo this year, and she is smiling AND looking into the camera. Incredible. 

Darcy is my most affectionate child. She tells me hundreds of times a day that she loves me, and insists on following through with kisses and cuddles. I am her best friend, her mum and her idol. She melts my heart. 

She is quick witted, funny and excitable. She speaks with the most intoxicating husky voice, which, I am assured by the speech therapist, "is consistent with the volume at which she speaks." Nice. 

Darcy is clever. But how often she chooses to apply it is the key to her success. She is sporty and creative too. But more than anything she just wants to spend time with people she loves. 

Darcy is my sweet tooth. Even more than me! Which makes us perfect kitchen companions. 

And she is beautiful. Did I tell you how beautiful she is? 

I love all of my children. I will blog about them all in time. But tonight it is Darcy I am thinking about. My independent, lovable critter. I love her even though she manages to lose or break 3 pairs of (expensive) glasses every year. I love her even though I can never tell when she is telling the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I love her fashion sense, and the fact that she is doing her best to bring the 'bag lady' look into fashion. I love that she wants to go to the party 'for the food.' I love that she wants to 'pull my cranky pants down.'

Even though Darcy will send me grey before any of my other children, I love her. And I love her love.