Queen G.

Did I mention I have a daughter?

G. is 4 1/2. When she grows up, she says she wants to be queen of the mermaids. Any kind of queen will do actually, as long as she can dance with the king, ride horses and wear sparkly dresses. What can I expect, having named her after the actress who played Cinderella opposite Richard Chamberlain in The Slipper and the Rose?

I was shocked when the doctor told me, "It's a girl!" With 2 younger brothers and a son, I felt like, "Really? They come in that brand?"

Her name means "jewel queen." She was so beautiful - round cheeks, button nose, big blue eyes with long eyelashes, and curly brown hair - I couldn't stop looking at her.

But I didn't get much time to just sit and look when I got home from the hospital; I nursed her on the go. The only way 2 year old K. would let me sit still was if I read him stories, which worked well, except that he had to wake me up between pages.

Now that K. is in school I have some time to focus on G. I cheer her across the monkey bars. We have long conversations with Polly Pocket. We attend royal balls in the living room and try on every necklace at Reitmans.

Sometimes she even brings out the princess in me.