Mondays are eagerly anticipated as I prepare for my visit to babysit Annabel, my "baby girl." At three months old she is such a delight and our day together goes by very quickly. When I show up she has been fed and is usually content to play for a brief spell. We go to her crib where she loves watching her musical mobile go round and round and especially delights when I play her musical puppy at the same time. Then I bring all the crib animals to life to talk and dance for her as she wiggles and coos. Her favorite thing to watch, however, is the paddle fan in the living room. I manually spin it as I hold her and I marvel at how her eyes widen and become fixated on the whirling blades. Then is a sense of wonder in her bright little eyes and she smiles transfixed on the spectacle. Perhaps she has a future in windmill technology... she IS a genius you know! After a nice nap that allows me some reading time and light housekeeping for my own daughter "Beauty" we quickly warm a baa baa, as she wakes with a ferocious appetite. She is cuddled and kissed as she sucks down her formula... to my gentle reminders of "slow down... take human gulps baby girl!" Then like a little rag doll, she drapes over my shoulder and expels the inevitable milk belch. Once fed and after a quick cat nap, we go to the changing table where she wakes up and delights in grabbing her toes as I skillfully change her diaper. Big smiles and coos accompany this ritual, and then she is ready to play. We usually have a lesson in classical music... currently we are listening to Bach harpsichord concertos as we minuet together across her bedroom floor. Then we go downstairs to her elaborate baby play station where she will grab at the suspended rattles and pulls them towards her mouth... hoping for a little taste. Lately she is into Nick... the children's channel where we might catch an episode of Max and Ruby or Dance Beat... but not too much TV, I don't want her to become a couch potato!
Yesterday the weather was a balmy 56 degrees so I assembled the high tech stroller and we went out for a walk in the March winds and listened to all the sounds of Nature waking up from the end of the cold Winter. As we sat on the back deck in the warmth of the sunshine, two hawks swooped down in screeching play and we watched them dive-bomb each other for quite some time. We were also visited by a low flying Turkey Buzzard who swooped down and tipped his wings with a big hello! The fresh air made baby girl sleepy and after another bottle of milk, she enjoyed another big nap as Lilydog, and Milo and Mimi (the cats) crept quietly around her to grace my lap for their share of Granny Wen attention. What a great day... time does fly when you're having fun!
