I remember the moment I met my little sister vividly. I remember how she smelled and how small she seemed and how proud I was of myself for becoming so big over night. I then tried to feed her spicy capers and earrings, but that’s what four year old do.
For me, watching Neko with Snow fills my heart with tears and warmth, knowing the kind of bond they can have. Neko loves Snow, in the most natural and honest way - she is gentle and sweet and wants to help, asking for a ‘job to do’ at all times.
I hope she looks back in many years and has the same memories of these early days and of her sister (that is, after they are done being pre teens, teens and making us crazy):
This was Peter’s mass email announcement - he wrote it just like it was - so why change it? I thought Snow and Neko would like to read this this in a few years (many many):
Another extraordinary girl required another extraordinary name. Say hello to Snow Bernard-Mannes - born 9:31pm on Jan 21, 2012. She weighed 6 lbs and a little over 13 ounces. The good news is that mother and child are healthy and happy. However, this birth almost played out like a scene from a movie as we almost didn’t make it to the hospital in time. After realizing we needed to leave home in a hurry, Keren rode in the taxi on her knees, nearly squeezing my fingers off as she suffered through the contractions. I called the doctor on our way, and he yelled at me that we should have left earlier. Oh well. When we arrived, she barely could walk and had to dig her nails into me for a few minutes before we could make it inside. Naturally, Keren refused a wheelchair at this point. So, after walking a short way across the lobby, she dropped to all fours and filled the space with some monk-like deep moans. The baby was ready to come out. The wheelchair was now the only option. We whisked her upstairs to the maternity ward where the staff was waiting for us. She entered the delivery room at 9:25p, immediately leaning over the bed to manage the pain. The doctor pulled down her pants and realized the baby’s head was right there. It was time to push. As fast as I could, I wrestled off Keren’s winter boots. She got up on the bed, and 2 pushes later, Snow was born. As the dust settled, we realized Keren delivered the baby with one sock on. A nice touch, I thought. As with delivering our older daughter Neko, Keren was strong, brave, and unstoppable. Our new baby seems to be cut from the same cloth, already alert and full of energy. Here are some pics of my incredible, unique, and beautiful women. Snow, welcome to the family! Peter
