When I think of my Rachael, I always go back to our first impressions.
Rachael’s name was pretty much always set in stone. She’s named after one of each of our grandmothers, Rachael and Eve. Two very special women in our lives. Had Nathaniel been a girl, that’s what his name would’ve been. However, we weren’t blessed with our first girl until the second time around, SOoooo….it is what it is.
When Anissa was pregnant with Rachael, we’d talk to her. A lot. Nathaniel and I used to spend a lot of time talking to the belly. He and I would both say, “HELLLLOOOOOOO BABY SISTER!” and “HELLLLOOOOO RAY-RAY!” We did this so much that when Rachael was born, and I think it was her Grandma Dixie holding her, I said, “Hello baby sister” in the exact same inflection that I used every other time before she was born, and Rachael actually turned her head to finally see who it was that was saying that. Less than 30 minutes old, and she turned her head!
From that moment forward, I’ve always described her as an undeniable force of nature. Anissa was just glad the mini-Mia Hamm was on the outside and no longer taking penalty shots from the inside.
When she was around 2, she was still in a crib. There’s a picture of her in the crib down below. Rachael was laying down for a nap. At some point, she woke up, and being the headstrong little girl that she is, decided to climb out of the crib on her own. I’m not exactly sure how long it took her to get up into the position that she was in, but we heard this little, panicked voice yell, “Help! Help! I tuck!”
Anissa and I went into the room, and there was Rachael, straddling the crib railing, shifting her weight and holding on for dear life. On one side was a 3-4 foot drop to the floor. On the other side was a 1-2 foot drop into the crib. Both apparently looked a little too far for her liking and she decided to get help.
My Ray-Ray. An undeniable force of nature with an infectious smile, irresistable laugh, and an amazing personality…who on occasion bites off more than she can chew.
