She has waited literally her entire life for this.
For all of her days, or at least all of the ones that she remembers, Alexis has wished for a brother or sister. Every day. All of the days. She has never wanted for anything else as long as she has wanted for a sibling.
That is why I paused and answered very carefully when Alexis first asked to go to the hospital when her baby brother or sister was born.
She asked months ago, long before anyone was fully ready to embrace the if-ness of it all, but hearts that have not been shattered should not be broken. So, I explained that she couldn't be at the hospital at the time of the birth because it isn't a good place for kids, but that that we would make sure that she got to meet her brother or sister before anyone else.
"But Daddy will get to be there!" she replied.
"You're second. That's fair," was my answer.
In the time between that conversation and Mila's birth, there was a lot of clarification. "Mom, you can't tell Twitter before I meet the baby," she told me. "I get to meet him or her before anybody puts anything on Facebook," she said. "No email, mom!" She covered all of her bases and I agreed fully to her terms.
It was the right thing to do.
And, really, it's what we wanted anyway. We wanted to contact people one at a time and tell them, either by phone or by text. When you've waited as long as we have, taking a few extra moments to do it the right way makes the whole thing so much sweeter.
(Some of that got messed up. It was beyond our control and I apologize to anyone who saw the news on Facebook before we made the announcement ourselves.)
When Mila's birthday rolled around, Alexis knew what was going on. She knew that we would be gone long before she woke up. She knew that the very second school was over for the day, she would get to finally find out the answer to the question that has nagged her for months, and she would get to meet her brother or sister.
When the hospital room door opened, Mila was snuggled up tightly in my arms. Alexis burst through the doorway, ran across the room, and blurted, "IS IT A BOY OR A GIRL?"
I smiled for a second, then replied, "This is Mila."
Alexis knew that our first name for a girl was going to be Mila. We still, even that day, didn't have a boy name, but Mila was decided a few weeks earlier. It has no significance (other than the fact that it's an AWESOME name), but Alexis knew.
"MOM, IS IT A BOY OR A GIRL?" she desperately whisper-shouted.
Somebody was a little too excited to think straight, methinks.
"A girl," I replied.
For the record, Alexis had been convinced she was getting a brother for months. Months and months and months. She was CERTAIN. I don't know if she convinced herself because she actually wanted a sister and didn't want to be disappointed, or if she really did want a brother, or if she really didn't care either way. I just know she kept saying "boy." But it wasn't.
Reality struck and Alexis pumped her fist in the air then said, "Yes!" A grin spread across her face as she leaned over to kiss Mila on the forehead.
"Hi, Mila. I'm your sister, Alexis," she whispered.
The best things in life are well worth the wait.
