For those of you who have ever wondered why I call Savannah Lynn “Vern,” allow me to explain.
Back in the late 80s and 90s, there was a man named Ernest P. Worrell. If you know who I’m talking about, congratulations—you are old with me! If you don’t know who I’m talking about, go watch Ernest Goes to Camp and thank me later!
Ernest’s famous catchphrase was:
“KnowhutImean, Vern?”
And because I was absolutely obsessed with Ernest movies as a kid, my poor middle child ended up with the nickname “Vern.”
(i dont honestly even remember why, one day i said to her “knowhutimean, Vern?” and it has stuck…poor Vern!)
I was a strange child, peeps.
Honestly, the more stories I tell about my childhood to you all, the more I’m realizing my parents probably deserved a hazard pay for putting up with me!
But today’s post isn’t about me. (I can tell you a million funny Heather kid stories another time!)
It’s about my middle kiddo.
My wild child.
My chaos gremlin.
My beautiful little force of nature. (she is quite literally my twin)
Savannah is the kid that keeps life interesting.
You know how every family has that one child that makes you question whether they’re going to cure cancer or accidentally start a small revolution?
That’s Vern.
She is fiercely loyal to the people she loves. If someone hurts her family, friends, or one of her animals, there is a very real possibility she would “help” them disappear and then ask what everyone wanted for supper.
Again…
Not because she’s mean.
Because she’s protective.
And because she inherited my temper.
Lord help us all.
This child asks more questions than anyone I have ever met in my entire life.
Every.
Single.
Question.
If she doesn’t understand something, she wants to know why.
Then she wants to know how.
Then she wants to know who invented it.
Then she wants to know what would happen if we changed it.
Then she wants to know if raccoons understand the concept of taxes.
Her brain never stops.
She loves learning. She loves animals. She loves anime. She loves gaming. She loves her family.
She is an outstanding artist and she creates so many cool things!!
And she loves with her whole heart.
What breaks my heart sometimes is that the world hasn’t always been kind to her.
She’s struggled to fit in.
She’s struggled to find her people.
She’s been made fun of.
People have been cruel.
Kids can be downright awful sometimes.
But what amazes me is that she keeps showing up anyway.
Every day.
She keeps smiling.
She keeps being kind.
She keeps caring.
She keeps trying.
I don’t know that I would have handled some of the things she’s gone through with half the grace she has.
Truthfully, I could learn a thing or two from her.
Savannah is the perfect blend of Matt and me.
She got my fire.
My stubbornness.
My willingness to argue a point until the end of time.
But she got Matt’s heart.
His patience.
His ability to see the good in people.
It’s like we each donated half our personality and somehow the universe assembled them into one incredible human being.
She entered this world the same way she approaches everything else…
Dramatically.
It was a cold-as-hell February day when she decided she was ready to make her grand appearance.
And then, because apparently the universe likes to keep things exciting, she spent time in the NICU at St. Elizabeth’s for a few weeks.
The day after she was born, Matt and I learned another valuable lesson:
Lincoln streets and 11 inches of snow do not mix.
Trying to navigate snow packed and icy streets after having a C-section while worrying about your baby in the NICU is an experience I would not recommend.
To anyone.
Ever.
If we’re going to get snow, I’d like it to kindly stay away from Lincoln Nebraska roads and hospitals.
Thank you for attending my TED Talk.
And now…
Now somehow she’s fifteen.
FIFTEEN.
How?
I swear she was just a baby.
I swear I just brought her home and Lily was soooo excited to have HER baby home.
I swear yesterday she was sitting beside me asking a million questions and carrying around stuffed animals everywhere she went.
Now she’s learning to drive this summer Peeps!
Soon she’ll have her own car.
Soon she’ll be driving herself to school.
Soon she’ll be making plans that don’t involve me.
Soon she’ll be growing up like her sister.
And while I am incredibly proud of the young woman she’s becoming, I’d also like to formally file a complaint about how fast time moves. Because this is bullshit!
One minute you’re changing diapers.
The next minute you’re teaching them how to use turn signals.
I am not emotionally prepared for any of this.
Not even a little. How does one get through one child graduating followed by another 2 years later and then the LAST one 2 years after THAT!?! I might actually not survive…
But here’s what I know.
Savannah is smart.
She’s compassionate.
She’s funny.
She’s curious.
She’s fiercely loyal.
She’s brave.
And despite every challenge she’s faced trying to fit into a world that sometimes doesn’t appreciate people who are different, she continues being exactly who she is.
And that’s one of the things I admire most about her.
So here’s to my Vern.
My wild child.
My question asker.
My animal lover.
My gamer.
My anime enthusiast.
My beautiful little weirdo.
Never stop asking questions.
Never stop caring.
Never stop being unapologetically yourself.
The world needs more people exactly like you.
KnowhutImean, Vern?
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