34 years ago today, when I was still merely a twinkle in my dad’s eye ( dad always uses that saying🙄), I was given one of the best gifts I ever did receive….. Krista Rose Shiwarski Campbell, aka my big sister, was born. I didn’t come on the scene for about 4.5 more years, and mom says Krista was all about her baby sister from the time I was born, however, as the years went on, I filled in that annoying little sister role pretty well. 5 grades/4 years is big deal when you are little kid but that didn’t stop me from wanting to do everything my sisters did, especially Krista. She was my idol! I was her shawdow and followed her around everywhere she went, mimicking everything she did. She didn’t always love that … Many of mornings, before school, I wasn’t even “allowed” to look at her at the breakfast table because I was “so annoying”, so what she would do is place the cereal box ( usually Sugar Smacks or Coco Pebbles) in front of her face so I couldn’t talk to her but it never really stopped me. Also, when we were young, she took her Nintendo games very seriously. “My turn” was often skipped in super Mario Brothers because she thought I would waste all of “her lives.” I found out years later, “My Turn” meant Krista and Ashley would pull a fast one on me and unplug the controller and only let me think I was playing while they played the second controller behind me. Nice sisters! Occasionally, she let me join in on the neighborhood game of release with the “big kids” or if we were playing house, aka babysitters club, I was given some minor role as Karen. But you know what, I was happy with that because it didn’t matter to me, I just wanted to hang out with my big sis!
Growing up, I looked up to Krista in everyway possible. In high school, Krista was a cheerleader, so naturally I wanted to be a cheerleader too. She spent hours and hours going over “the routine” with me for my middle school tryout, despite that fact that I was sort of a lost cause. My long gangly legs and arms weren’t really meant for cheerleading, I suppose. There is a home video floating around somewhere of “brace face Heather” trying to perfect a “toe touch” … hoping that tape may have accidentally got thrown out during my parents move. Needless to say, I didn’t make the squad but my sis was there to console me when my name wasn’t on the list… she even let me wear her uniform one year for Halloween! Speaking of which, I stole all of her clothes, which caused all out, drag out brawls, on what seemed was like a daily basis. I would even sneak and wear her “Pager” around the house when she wasn’t looking because I thought it was the coolest thing ever! When Krista went off to college at the University of Pittsburgh, 10 miles from our family home, mind you, I was devastated. The day we moved her into Tower B on Pitt’s Campus, I sat in her bedroom when we came home and cried and cried because I missed my sister and didn’t know when I would ever see her again…. don’t worry she came home every Sunday, without fail… usually hungover for a meal and for mom to do her laundry #truth. While she was as at college, and as I grew older, the age gap seems to close and we grew closer as friends rather than simply sisters. She even let me come to a few of her college parties! 16 year old Heather thought she was the coolest thing in the world getting lifted up by the Pitt Football Team to do a 16 second keg stand ( you know, because I was 16 years old) … she wasn’t always a good influence😉 Despite her college party girl ways, she showed me to what it looks like to go after your dreams. Proving that, with hard work and determination you can achieve anything you set out to acomplish. After Pitt, Krista managed to get into a well sought Physical Therpay School, graduated top of her class with her doctorate and built an amazing career where, daily, she enhances the quality of life of her patients- who adore her by the way! She married the boy next door ( really up the the street, Ryan’s family lived a few houses up when we were young) and they have built the most beautiful life together with their 3 baby boys.
That’s where this ties into Plan C… my Sister is my ultimate pregnancy/mommy hero… Before she was pregnant with her first baby, Nolan Ryan ( ya- that is really his name- my brother in-law is a baseball guy), she really didn’t have any experience with babies. I am talking , never changed a diaper or anything. Ryan, my brother in-law, was the one who was ready for the baby and Krista knew she wanted to have kids eventually, even though she claims she was never really “ready to have kids.” But she was married and over 30 so that is what you do right?? I can recall her being a week past Nolan’s Due Date saying,” I’m not sure if I am ready for this.” I said,” Sis, I don’t think there is any turning back now.” And then Nolan was born…… When I first walked into that hospital room that sunny October morning to see my sister and her new baby of just a few hours old, I witnessed the most amazing thing, my sister in all out mommy mode, holding and feeding and loving her baby- it all came so natural. It was crazy, but it was so, so beautiful. I have never seen anything look so instinctual in my life. That momma instinct continued throughout Nolan’s first year where I witnessed her amazing patience and love for her son. She was still all the same fun-loving sister ( getting BOK from time to time inside joke 😉 ) but now she could add amazing mommy to that list. When Nolan was only a few days shy of his first birthday, my sister received the unexpected but happy news she was expecting again! Ryan and Krista planned on having more, but maybe not that soon…. that would be 2 under 2. We thought that was crazy but we were all very excited to watch the family grow. They went to that initial doctors visit and came home to share with us some even more shocking news… there wouldn’t be just 2 under 2, there would be 3. She was expecting twins!…Twin boys might I add! Thats, count em, 1, 2, 3, -3 boys under 2…. 2016-2017 was a shocking year for our family to say the least!
Throughout her twin pregnancy, Krista never even complained. Seriously I don’t think I ever heard anything negative or whiny come out of her mouth. Not even once, despite working full time up until the week of her due date, chasing a crazy wild toddler boy around all day long and not to mention that belly that seemed to grow bigger by the day … seriously people, she birthed two babies both over 7lbs, each!! That is nuts! She is a tiny girl, I am not sure how they had any room in there. Krista was pretty far along with the twins when I found out I was pregnant and here ,her very preggo self, was there taking care of me and making sure I was doing okay, mentally and physically. I felt so bad complaining about my alignments when there she was, doing it all! She joked with me and said I got pregnant because I wanted to be just like her… Not true, obviously since being preggo is only my Plan C, but she did get part of that right. Even after all these years, I do just want to be like my sister! If I can be half the mommy my sister is, I know I will be doing something right….
When I was my sisters maid of honor, in my toast, which has often been referred to as “the roast,” I joked about their wedding song- God Bless the broken road-because, to the outside world, my sister’s life seems to be picture perfect… Perfect beautiful kids, husband , job and life! I would be lying if I didn’t say she is tremendously blessed, but to tell you the truth, she deserves nothing less. My sister and her beautiful heart deserve the greatest that life has to offer and I am so blessed to have her in my life.
Love you Sissy! Thank you for giving me the best example to look up to after all these years. You are my best friend and my person. Cheers to number 34! I am excited to see what the next year has in store. I never imaged that we would have kids growing up so close together. I know I will continue to look to you for advice along the way…. I can only hope my baby is half as cute as yours though! Thank you for being such a big part of my life and my other half ( really third with ash 🙂 ). Happy Birthday!
xoxo Love, Your Baby Sis
Plan C 
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