Normally when I make a trip to Ohio, one or two weeks is never enough time to see all the people I would like to, and having a child makes getting around even more difficult. So I tend to set fairly reasonable expectations for who I will actually be able to see while in town. Having much more time during this trip, I have been pleasantly surprised by how many people I have caught up with. So far I have attended my 10-year high school reunion, went to the Journey concert with an old theatre friend, reconnected with a close friend from grade and high school and just last night met up with a good friend from college. I sometimes worry that because we will likely move every three or four years, Ellie might have a hard time making and keeping friends. As she gets older, I hope to teach her the value of good, long-lasting relationships -- that even though time and distance may separate, there is always the ability to reconnect with an old friend.
In other news, last night I heard Ellie's first recognizable babble. She has been squealing and blowing raspberries for the last month, but yesterday, while eating her dinner, she said, "mama". Granted, I'm 98% sure it wasn't said in context, but it was music to my ears just the same, and Brian happened to be on Skype at the time so he heard it too (whether he's more excited than disappointed with this particular consonant sound, I'm not sure). She said it a couple of times after her bath while getting ready for bed and then again while we were playing this morning. Having spent the last 8 months listening to her cry, laugh and make noises of all sorts, hearing Ellie discover her voice to make the beginnings of words truly amazes me and makes me realize how quickly she's growing.
Again realizing how fleeting Ellie's time as a baby is, I have spent more time rocking her to sleep when she goes down for the night. Usually (since I still nurse her before bed), as soon as I see she's getting drowsy, I will burp her and put her down. Call me selfish, but this past week I've been relishing the only time of day when Ellie will actually rest her head on my shoulder as I hold her (during the day when she's being carried, she will wrench her body around to see where the action is). It's this time of day, when she's resting her head on my shoulder that I feel her eyelashes fluttering slowly against my cheek. Although unintentional and unbeknownst to her, I can think of no better way than to end my day than with her sweet little butterfly kisses.
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