Growing, Changing, Learning

**Note to my wonderful Nephew, you might not want to read this one. It contains stuff about your little cousin "growing up"! :) You know, like *Girly* stuff!

I'm very blessed to have three kids at such different stages in their lives. It's fun to watch them grow, and compare one to the other.
I don't really have anyone to compare Louisa to, though. She's the only girl in the family, and even though I'm a girl and I grew up with a sister, I feel like I'm headed into uncharted territory with her. In many ways she's just like I was when I was 1o. She daydreams all the time, she likes to be silly and laugh a lot, she's very creative when she puts her mind to it. But many ways she's totally different and I can't relate to her too well. For instance, she would much rather sit inside and read a book, or watch TV, or play video games than play outside. When I was her age, sitting inside for any reason was the last thing I wanted to do. I never watched TV, reading wasn't huge on my list, and the outdoors constantly beckoned me. Although none of her "best" friends live in our neighborhood, so I can understand not having those close friends to hang out with on a daily basis like I did.
So, last week I had a small scare with Louisa. She noticed a hard knot in her chest and we took her to the doctor right away to find out what it was. Turns out, she's just growing up. (sniff, sniff) When we got in the truck after the appointment Louisa says, "See, Mom! I told you I was just growing boobs!"
So, at some point do I get to put my foot down and say, "No more growing up into a young lady!" I mean, it seems like we were *just* playing Dora the Explorer together, and now she has crushes on boys and understands Carrie Underwood songs!
We went to pick up the boys from our friend's house, and then headed straight for WalMart. Bra shopping time! I'd given her a book some time ago about what happens to your body when you hit puberty called Growing Up, It's a Girl Thing: Straight Talk about First Bras, First Periods, and Your Changing Body by Mavis Jukes. Apparently she only read the first chapter about bras and growing breasts. However, when we got to WalMart she already knew what kind of bra she wanted, so that was good. The challenge was shutting little brother up long enough (What are you guys doing? Why are we looking at bras? Louisa doesn't need a bra!) to pick out the bra and get it tried on. The solution: "Drew, why don't you go pick out a new shirt or outfit for yourself over there!"
This is another situation where Louisa is totally different than I was when I was her age. She was not embarrassed at all to look at bras. She took it in stride, grabbed the ones she liked and tried them on all by herself! She didn't hide under the cart or in a clothes rack like I would have done. Now that's a big girl!
Before this whole bra thing, Louisa delighted in telling people she was a tomboy. She didn't like girly stuff (yet she admitted to having crushes on Dylan and Cole Sprouse), she didn't want to wear girly clothes and she even looks a little awkward in a skirt.
After bra.... transformation into a real girl! She spent the weekend putting on make-up and worrying about her hair! Who is this girl? You buy her a bra and the tomboy instantly disappears? Well, I can't say I'm sad about it!
Louisa has her ears double pierced, and last fall one ear got infected so we took all her earrings out for many months so the infection could heal. Her front holes stayed open and we could easily stick earrings back in those last month, but her back holes closed up a bit and I could not get an earring back in without hurting her. Low and behold, on Saturday, she worked earrings back in those second holes. She was bound and determined to be *that* girly again!
As I'm telling Daddy all of this wonderful news, he got a little flabbergasted and wondered just what the heck I'm doing to the kids to make them grow so fast in the 3 months he's been gone. Well, besides feeling them HGH (not!), I'm telling them they all have to be 16 by the time Daddy comes back. At least.
I'm so glad that Louisa is changing into a beautiful young lady, albeit a bit scared at the unknown we're headed in to. Her sassy mouth, her backtalk, the small rebellious gleam in her eye. Like me, yet so unlike me.