Introducing Natalie, Child One of Two

8 lb. 11 oz. of pure love

After Julius (our first "baby") had lived with us for a few years, Natalie joined the family. I know I'm a bit biased, but she's a real sweetie (except when she's around her little brother, but I think that's to be expected). She amazes me every day with her creativity and kindness.

Natalie is extremely sensitive, pretty reserved, and rather shy, but this year I'm starting to notice that she's growing out of that a bit. Maybe middle school has given her some much-deserved self esteem. She's into art, animals, cheer, friends, playing outside with the neighbors, watching silly shows on Disney XD, and goofing around on her iPod Touch. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that last night she taught me how to turn off an annoying delivery alert noise on my tablet. She's smart and has a crazy good memory. She can recall things that happened years ago, including what we were wearing, specific things people said, etc. For some reason, this hasn't translated into schoolwork... yet... but we're working on it. Wouldn't that be a great skill to have?! She also seems to be the only one in our family (for a few generations, in fact) who has any sense of direction. When she was three years old, she could tell us exactly how to get from our house to Gymboree for tumbling.

Natalie, age 10

For her eleventh birthday, she asked to redecorate her room. I'm all into this... except that the state of her bedroom often (read: almost always) looks like something out of the "Hoarders" show on TLC. We have, after much discussion, many trips to various stores, and a few false starts, picked out some new bedding and tween decor to match.

The next step will be to choose a paint color. We have told her that once her room is picked up enough that we can wipe down the dresser and shampoo the carpet, THEN we can go to Lowe's and pick up some paint swatches. Anyone want to wager how long this will take her? My guess is mid-March. I have been secretly going in there when she's at school and pulling out a few forgotten stuffed animals, cheap plastic knick-knacks, and random art supplies every day. If it weren't for that, I'd estimate her finish date to be around the fourth of July. 

After a clean room and new paint, we'll put on the new bedding and start accessorizing (which is really the fun part!) I'll post a picture when it's finished. As long as we get it completed before her twelfth birthday, I'll be pretty proud. Only 345 days to go!