Happy Birthday Little Oracle!!!

On this day, 4 years ago, my little Katrushki came into this world!
Katrushki is the youngest of my 3 daughters, and she is without a doubt my best little buddy in the whole wide world. She has her daddy's good looks and shares her mamma's passion for red heels.

My first children were twin girls, Little Miss A and Little Miss C.
They were a beautiful, miraculous blessing in our lives that came at a time when our family was in mourning. My husband and I found out I was pregnant just 5 months after losing my beloved father. Joy and hope came back into our home.
At 8 weeks into my pregnancy we had a scare. I noticed with a heavy heart that I was experiencing some spotting. Dreading the worst, we rushed off to hospital to have a scan. The nurse set me up for an ultrasound and with a comforting voice showed me a little heartbeat on screen.
"Everything seems fine for now", she said, "but there's no guarantee. Just relax and look after yourself."  The next 4 weeks I was treated like a queen by hubby. No stress, no exhertion and thankfully no more spotting. We were scheduled for our regulatory 12 week ultrasound to see how baby was progressing. Please let all be ok! I prayed. Going in to the dark screening room I took position on the bed, Hubby tightly squeezing my hand. All gelled up,  the nurse whizzed across my belly with her tool, as I searched her face for any pre-emptive clues. Suddenly she smiled.
"Well, here's the head, the tummy, the heartbeat, a hand, and here's the other heartbeat, and other tummy and a couple more hands. Congratulations, you're having twins!!!!!!"
TWINS!! TWINS!! TWINS!! Ever since I was a little girl I'd always dreamed of having twins. Never had I heard more joyous news in all my life! Not only were we blessed to be having a baby, we were having TWO!! Double blessing, double happiness!!! (And yes, double the chores!).

I couldn't wait to go back to work the next day to tell all my girlfriends. Most of them knew I was having a scan, many of them were expecting me to find out the sex of the baby (which we didn't want to know).
"So...?" they gathered round, "is everything alright? Did you find out what you're having? A boy? A girl?"
"Well.... ", I began, "it has two heads, four arms and four legs".
Stunned silence. I saw hints of confusion and fear come over their faces as they imagined some grotesque abomination  growing in my uterus. Uneasy smiles were frozen on their faces as their eyes shreiked pity and fear.
"It's twins!" I exclaimed, finally putting them out of their polite misery.

And The Twins came effortlessly by caesarean in January of 2006. Two beautiful, healthy bundles of love. They were the best, most content babies and I was absolutley loving being a mum. Nothing felt more real, more true in my life than being a mother to these little poppets.
In fact, I loved it so much I turned to hubby 5 months later and said "I WANT MORE!".
"Are you sure?" he whispered. Was that fear I sensed?
"Yes!" I said, and with my sexiest Dolce & Gabbanesque black slip and a spritz of Chanel he was no match for  my Mummy-Desire.

And exactly 40 weeks later little Katrushki was born. The old fashioned, 24 hour labour, worst-pain-in-my-life-I-think-I'm going-to-die kinda way, but boy, was she worth it!! Never has something so torturous  been more gratifying.

Having 3 children within a 15 month period might have seemed a little crazy to some, but I wouldn't change it. The Three Sisters are doting on each other, best friends. My little Trifecta.

And Katrushki has been on fast forward ever since she came into this world, trying to catch up to her sisters. She's only a petite little thing. A pocket rocket.
My sisters (her aunts) jokingly made a wish when she was born  that she would never grow up, that she'd always be small enough to scoop up into your arms and cuddle like an infant. Well, thanks ladies, I think your wish came true! She might be teeny but she's spunky, bold, vibrant, hilarious, luminous and her big brown eyes and beaming, dimply smile light up our lives.

One morning, when she was not quite 3 we were sitting at the breakfast table.
Katrushki leaned over to me and said lovingly "Listen to your heart, and you will find the Truth".
I choked on my coffee.
"Excuse me darling? What did you just say to Mummy?" my ears in a state of shock.
"Listen to your Heart and You Will Find the Truth", she repeated carefully, a big smile across her face. Visions of Little Buddha and the Dalai Lama came to mind.
Did I have some sort of Prophetic child? A Great Sage?  An Oracle?

Little Misses A and C walked into the kitchen just as I was imagining what I would wear if we should be interviewed by Oprah.
"Katrushki, can you say what you said before to mummy, one more time please darling?"
 Katrushki sighed, "Okay, but the last time, mummy.  Listen to your heart and you will find the truth".
"Where did you hear that, sweetie?" I asked, envisaging a heavenly angel floating on clouds, communicating with my Totally Awesome Miraculous Child.
Little Misses C and A started laughing.
"You know, Mummy.  It's from the 'Care Bears' DVD that Yiayia gave us yesterday. The Care Bears say it to the little boy who is sad".
Well, so much for the Oprah interview, and the Heavenly Chorus of Deities.

And so, to my Little Oracle Katrushki, I would like to say Mummy, Daddy and your sisters wish you a very Happy 4th Birthday, We love you so much and:

          Thank you for always eating your dinner and saying it's delicious

          Thank you for making your bed and your sisters' beds without being asked

          Thank you for your squishy hugs and smoochy smooches

          Thank you for graffiti-ing your name on our kitchen table

          Thank you for the crumbs you left in my bed

          Thank You for Being Born!