When Matthew and I decided to have a third child, we did so only because we knew we needed one more to complete our family. Having two boys of our own and three nephews on his side of the family with nary a girl in sight, we were expecting that we would add another boy to our den. While not “trying” for a girl, I would be lying if I said that I did not hope for a girl. I cannot fathom not wanting someone of your own gender, wired similar to you, to help to balance out the Lego and the Wrestling and the TESTOSTERONE. When people would ask about the situation I would do my best to give reasons why another boy would be so rad: We already had the clothes! The baby would have two Big Dudes to show him the way! I wouldn’t have to deal with a TEENAGE GIRL.
Of course, as soon as the doctor and nurse screamed, “IT’S A GIRL!!!” I flung my trepidation out the window. With her being three I have yet to deal with the social issues that are so inherent with being a girl. The rejection by people who you thought were your friends who then turn on you, the unrequited love (At thirteen, OH EM GEE), the hormones that turn even the most compliant child (Me) into a being that needs to take a long walk off of a short pier.
One of the things I love to do is watch my girl dance. This is only her first year and she is merely three but she really does love to do ballet. I sit there, enraptured, while shooting (at least) eighty-seven photos in thirty minutes. There’s just something about a girl in a bodysuit and tutu that grabs your heart, hugs it, and then sets it flying.
Another highlight of watching Emily in her class is watching how she and Amanda’s daughter Avelyn interact with each other. Whenever the music stops they look for each other and stand side by side. This past weekend they took the cuteness up a notch. They started telling secrets.
Hey, Avelyn. I have something to tell you. My parents are away this weekend and I plan on throwing a party.
I have a crush on Jonah. Do you think that he’ll come to the party?
Oh, totally. Do you think he’ll bring his hot friend Sam?
OF COURSE. Why WOULDN’T he?
We’re in this together, my friend. Let’s make it happen.
OK. Amanda and I (obviously) had no idea what they were whispering to each other but we were equally enamored by how adorable they were with the whispering. The party talk can wait until they are twenty. Riiiiiight.
The neat thing about this interchange is that I was reminded about the good part of growing up as a girl. There are dolls to be played with and friends to eat Sour Patch Kids with and trips to the movie theater and sleepovers where no sleep actually happens and school crushes that make you crazy and stupid fights with friends about those stupid boys and slow dances at the school with those same stupid boys and…
And.
She is only three but she seems like she’s five and while a large part of me misses the baby another part of me is excited to become a little girl again, whenever she needs me to be one.
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My girl turned six a few months ago, and started kindergarten this year. The other day, she was telling me a story, and halfway in I realized the word “like” had been used numerous times.
“like?” As in the word I used way too many times as a 15 year old?
And then, she actually mentioned “when” she gets a cell phone.
When? Lord help me. I’m having another girl in a few weeks. Which means that I’ll have twelve straight years of female teenagers.
Jess´s last blog ..poor me and other stuff, including way too many parentheses 
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Comment by Jess on January 26th, 2010 @ 6:17 amI absolutely LOVE looking at your ballet photos. Dance has come a long way since I started, 20 years ago or so. All those girls match and have such dainty outfits – we looked like a hodge podge of 1990’s leggings and wildness. It was the 90’s, I guess. I secretly hope and pray that when Matt and I have kids, I am blessed with a girl too. God willing, I’ll have a little one to take to dance, to photograph 1,000 times an hour, and to play dress up and dolls with. Boys will be great too, but there’s definitely a part of me that wants to have a little girl for all the reasons you have stated in our posts! What a fun relationship you and Emily have/will have since she’s the only daughter in your household. So special.
LauraRad´s last blog ..Welcome to My New Home!
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Comment by LauraRad on January 26th, 2010 @ 6:54 amThe way you describe it? Exactly how I always imagined it. I’ll live vicariously through you, k?
Kami’s Khlopchyk´s last blog ..No Players in This House
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Comment by Kami's Khlopchyk on January 26th, 2010 @ 8:04 amI love seeing little kids playing together. They have such abandon and glee. And those two in their little ballet outfits? Heart? Break. So adorable!
Sizzle´s last blog ..Animal Adventures
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Comment by Sizzle on January 26th, 2010 @ 8:37 amthat is absolutely adorable and pretty exciting too..its nice to see girls start to make lifelong friendships!
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Comment by jenn on January 26th, 2010 @ 8:39 amI have a 3 year old as well and she is also in ballet, however the instructor will not let parents in the room to watch! Don’t ask me what schmuck of a parent ruined that but it is very sad for me as I know I’m missing those moments. But she loves ballet and so we go.
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Comment by Tonya on January 26th, 2010 @ 8:39 amSo adorable! I especially love her belly in that first photo – it’s just too cute for words! I’m glad that Emily has a good friend already at such a young age. I have a few friends that have known me for my entire life, and it’s so awesome to have that strong bond and connection with someone for such a long period of time.
Sharon´s last blog ..Hawaii, letter by letter
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Comment by Sharon on January 26th, 2010 @ 9:00 amThose photos just killed me dead. Thanks for posting them.
Amanda Brown´s last blog ..Friends For Life
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Comment by Amanda Brown on January 26th, 2010 @ 9:13 amThis is so sweet. My baby girl is going to be two next week and I am in denial about it… but at the same time, I’m so excited for her to grow up for the same reasons you describe. It’s almost like living your own childhood again – but with more wisdom. Uh, I hope.
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Comment by Rebecca (Bearca) on January 26th, 2010 @ 9:39 amI hope I’m not repeating myself here- but when my non-computer-using mom was visiting me I took her on a virtual “tour of the town”- seeing all the wonderful blogs and websites I have bookmarked (trying to convince her that if she had a computer she’d have some FUN! and WONDER! in her life).
When I showed her your website, my mom, in her 70s, just sighed over the adorableness of your little girl. She thought all your kids were nice looking, but she absolutely adored your photos of your dear little girl in her little tutu. Those curls at the back of her head. Her smile. Very, very, very cute.
Thanks for sharing your life with us, Angella.
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Comment by Ninabi on January 26th, 2010 @ 10:02 am[...] posted some of the CUTEST photos ever of our two little girls. Your heart will burst from the joy they bring, so head on [...]
Comment by kickyboots.com » Blog Archive » It’s Linky! Linky! on January 26th, 2010 @ 10:21 amI had wished for a girl, but stopped at two boys. Miss Emily is my imaginary grandbaby.
witchypoo´s last blog ..Funeral Potatoes
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Comment by witchypoo on January 26th, 2010 @ 11:07 amThose are the cutest stinkin’ photos I have ever seen. Now I want a girl. It’s all testosterone, all the time at my house…
Coach J´s last blog ..Cultivating gentlemen, one exposed breast at a time
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Comment by Coach J on January 26th, 2010 @ 12:02 pmAngella, your ballet shots are wonderful — it’s not hard to imagine those two giggling over these photos decades from now.
We’ve got it backwards, having had two girls, then a boy — but it has been fascinating to see the differences emerge.
Jeremy´s last blog ..CBC
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Comment by Jeremy on January 26th, 2010 @ 12:17 pmI love having a little girl and am so torn about whether I want this next baby to be a sister for Moira or a son for the Mister – I put it that way because I feel like I win no matter what since I wanted another baby. I wish I could have both – but not at the same time.
And those photos – totally precious. (And I hate the word precious but it is fitting in this instance.)
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Comment by melanie on January 26th, 2010 @ 1:37 pmthe cuteness is too much.
hillary´s last blog ..And I Will Charm I Will Slice I Will Dazzle I Will Outshine Them All
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Comment by hillary on January 26th, 2010 @ 2:26 pmMy sister and I had endless secrets growing up. Most of them revolved around fancy things we knocked off end-tables that we never told Mom about.
Kerri Anne´s last blog ..“You can’t create fate because then it’s not fate, it’s Voodoo.”
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Comment by Kerri Anne on January 26th, 2010 @ 8:00 pmShe is so totally cute. We missed Sus’ ballet today (snotty nose and coughing)… heartbreak for Mom.
Elizabeth´s last blog ..Alpha-pillows: a great afternoon project
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Comment by Elizabeth on January 26th, 2010 @ 9:50 pmI love it, they are so cute. Isabelle found a tutu and fairy wings in with all my preschool stuff and she loves it, she does twirls (maybe I love it more) she is only 15 months and I can’t wait for the cuteness of her being 3. Emily is adorable!
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Comment by Amie Wouda on January 27th, 2010 @ 2:58 pmAwww….that is so sweet! You must be so thrilled to have finally gotten a girl. And yeah, I bet you WERE secretely wishing the whole time for a girl! So happy for you.
Chris´s last blog ..Bridgestone Motorcycle Tires
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Comment by Chris on January 28th, 2010 @ 1:55 pmLine and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
I love seeing the photos you take of the two of them, they are so sweet! The secret telling is just too much – Could it be any cuter?!?
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Comment by Michele on January 26th, 2010 @ 12:57 am