There are certain combinations of words that make my heart smile. Hearing “I love you,” from my husband of three years is of course one of those combos. I also like hearing, “Let’s get take out,” “Tomorrow’s Saturday,” and “This is 50 percent off the sale price.” Another phrase that just makes me smile from within is “Auntie Becky.” As an only child, I knew I would have to marry someone with siblings if I ever wanted to hear those words. Thankfully, Parish has an older brother and a younger sister. For the past three years, I’ve been an auntie and I love it.
Currently, I have two nieces and two nephews. Three of them live in Colorado, so seeing them more than twice a year is tricky. Thank goodness my sister-in-law only lives about seven minutes away, so seeing my newest nephew is much more convenient. I might be a bit biased, but he is one special little dude. He was born about four months early and weighed a little over a pound at birth. It was very touch and go at the beginning. He is a miracle. It has been so neat to watch this little guy grow from a preemie to a healthy 11-month old.
A couple weekends ago, we had my SIL and nephew over for Sunday dinner. I was so excited to see him. Have I told you how cute he is?
I grabbed him the moment he got in the door and we spent the rest of the afternoon together. We were inseparable as we walked around the apartment, played on the floor and made funny sounds. I hadn’t been around a baby in a really long time, so I forgot how much attention they needed. And he is one energetic little guy so I had to be ready for a lunge, kick and little fingers trying to get tangled in my hair.
Right before we got ready to eat, I gave my nephew a bottle and he fell asleep. His timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The ‘grownups’ were able to eat, talk and catch up while he slept. When we had had our fill of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn, rolls and farm fresh tomatoes, the little guy woke up. He had great timing!
I ran to pick him up from the bed and patted his back as we took laps around the living room. After doing that for about 10 minutes, we settled back on the floor and I did everything in my power to make him happy and content. For some reason, he responded well to loud noises. He especially liked when I pumped my fist in the air and shouted, “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” The giggles that came from his little mouth made me melt. Pretty soon we became the main attraction. His mom and Parish muted the TV to hear this little chuckle. The louder I got, the more he grinned. We had so much fun together.
Around 8 p.m., he started getting sleepy and honestly, I did too. After they left that night, I looked at Parish and gave him a, “are you ready for that?” kind of look. He read my mind and said, “babies are a lot of work. I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”
I silently agreed and added, “It’s bedtime,” to my list of phrases I adore.
