babies

Babies are all the rage in our house these days. After ten or so months of not nursing, Eliana now gives her babies, "A little nurse," bringing them up to her chest, patting them on the back and then asking, "That better?" Um...I have this odd hunch that she's picked up on some of my hormonal changes and perhaps is reminiscing about the good ol' days. When they're not busy nursing, Eliana just loves taking care of her babies. She changes their diapers, sings to them, pushes them in the stroller, and sways them back and forth when they cry (her little hips moving just as a daughter of mine's should).

We had a lovely weekend with my mama in from Cali. It snowed (!) on Thursday night, so we had lots of cozy, quiet adventures in the home with the babes. Baby still takes first place, but Josephine (aka, "Josameen") and Mary are steady in holding up the rear. I'm so thankful that she enjoys this kind of play because I often wonder what we would do otherwise when stuck in our little house for days on end. Books are great, her art supplies suffice for a bit, legos are cool, and of course Barney continues to rule, but really, it's Baby and her entourage that bring out the most creative, imaginative Eliana. I wasn't a dolly kinda girl (I pretty much spent most of my childhood playing "Fame" with my sister -- we were all showstoppers and legwarmers and didn't have much time for inanimate objects between rehearsals), so this is all sort of new to me. But I love it! I love seeing how I mother reflected in her, and also getting a little window into her world away from me. At the home daycare she goes to, she's the oldest one and has a bunch of "baby" buddies. She has new songs she comes home with and new little stories about who is sad when and why. Caroline, the lovely caregiver, says Eliana loves to play this little mama role and kind of takes care of the little ones. Or at least talks enough for all of them...



And my how can my girl talk. She has an appropriate response for everything ranging from, "Cool!" to, "Sure, " to, "Actually...." It's still pretty wild when I realize how small she really is because it seems she can articulate just about anything she needs at any time. She was so sweet and inviting with my mom, her ability to express herself making her that much more accessible. We had brunch today at Jeff's folks place and there was something so beautiful about watching these three generations around the table together.

I am tuckered and awed and so thankful for a quiet weekend after another busy week. My bedtime seems to get earlier by the day and that is simply fine. There's only so much hustle a girl can shove into her week and I seem to get all my go-go- go's out from Monday to Friday. If this wild ride is to be sustainable, I've gotta take it easy when the days open. So dusting powder on Baby's bum, "Sounds great!"