OUR LITTLE EASTER EGG

So much has been going on around here. Our curly headed toddler turned 15 months old and all manner of new things have been springing up.

A few days ago, Van was digging through her Daddy's bathroom drawer and pulled out his nail clippers. So what does she do with them? She taps on my slippers. "Yes, that's right," I say, "those are for your toes." Off comes my slipper and V-dog very delicately touches each of my toes with the clippers.

Vanners has a rock fetish - loves to pick them up, carry them around, and bang them together - so when Daddy was away he picked up a souvenir bag of polished stones for her. She's crazy for them. While "Uncle" Chris and "Auntie" Nell were babysitting, they poured out the stones and started sorting and counting them. Well, Vanessa, upon recognizing the counting, stood up, ran across the room, rummaged through her DVDs, grabbed Baby Einstein's "Numbers Nursery," held it high and said, "Ein? Ein?" Either Nanners is a genius or she has amazing Irish luck in selecting DVDs on counting. And, well, there is the small matter of her being a Baby Einstein junkie.

Big cousin Julia came this week for her spring break. While babysitting VH1 in the park, a man commented, "Well she's obviously your daughter!" These gorgeous red heads need to stick together.

Where ever VanNestlekins goes, she meets new little friends. See her here with Baby Rose, who is two, but not quite as, um, densely built, as Van. They played nicely together on the beach. Vanessa showed Rose her signature monkey toe moves.

And here is Vanners in the park by our house, playing with neighbors Nicky and Ana Lucia. They had a big black dog named Max who hooked up with our big white cat named Max. Vanessa invariably blows past the kids to greet the dogs, but she came around soon enough to meet Ana Lucia and imitate big brother Nickie.

For Easter, mama decided it was time to try a new church, one in our neighborhood. We went to a newly renovated adobe chapel that holds about 100 worshipers, and lo and behold, they were our kind of peeps. Half of them were wearing Hawaiian shirts and surf shoes on Easter Sunday, and the other half were bouncing children on their knees.

Vanny wore her flowery headdress and a girly hand-me-down dress. She looked darling. People commented. We rocked out to the contemporary music in the back row, Van used her new dance moves when she heard the guitars, then we popped outside to play with the toys and other kids. I regret I didn't bring my camera to the service, but there were six little toddler girls in dresses, all looking mighty cute. Someone took a photo - maybe I'll get it up here someday.



After church we hung out the backyard and played in the sprinkler and kiddie pool. Vanners would only smile for mama's camera when Daddio said, "Gimme five!" which is one of her all-time favorite games. We had "Auntie" Nell and "Uncle" Chris over for Easter burgers, then went for a post-dinner surf at sunset.

Let's just say here that we have a lot to be thankful for. The sermon at church was one of hope and forgiveness - surely you've heard it - but it was fresh as ever for us. The pastor even used a birth analogy for describing how something wonderful can come when all seems dark and impossible.

As I jiggled our wee cherub on my lap, I remembered an Easter service in Seattle with my mom, where I was so uncomfortable from chemo treatments I could barely sit upright. But during that Easter service - in 2004, I think - I suddenly had the strangest feeling I was going to be pregnant someday. My mood shifted dramatically and I carried that strange feeling around in my heart until last year.

This year Jack and I feel a completely different type of conviction, hope and excitement. On Good Friday (and the first day of Spring) we signed a contract with an adoption agency, to hopefully adopt a child sometime in the next two years. I nearly developed an ulcer over this last week, but suddenly, after a lot of prayer, felt as strongly about adopting as I did about being pregnant. "It may not always be smooth, but it's the right direction to sail."

Gimme five!