Now that we are not driving and marking each day off on an itinerary, it is hard to keep track, or maybe we just don't need to keep track. I know it is Saturday because Kiel is still in his pj's and he made us brunch. This is our 3rd full day with Tala and we are getting into the routine of things. When we are over at Kiel and Carly's they take advantage of the time we are here by working or catching up on their sleep debt. We are learning Tala and she is learning us. So far I have learned the routine for putting her down for her nap and for the night. They have rituals they have developed that are helping her to develop a schedule ~ a healthy habit (IMHO) for both parents and baby. When she is awake we try many different ways to entertain her, but like most babies, what she likes the most is to be held while we walk around the house exploring.
Like labor, it has been easy to forget how much work babies are. Mother Nature's way of making sure we continue to procreate. And also like labor, there is the continual reminder of why you are doing all this work. For the smile that you get when you walk into the room, for the giggle that you get when you play with them in just the right way, for the snuggle you get when the sleepiness sets in and that little head burrows into your neck and shoulder. We are getting all of that and hoping that this long visit and time with Tala will allow her to build memories of us to last until the next time we can visit.
There is an added bonus. We are seeing Kiel in his role as a father. Sometimes it is hard to reconcile that teenager we had (seems like yesterday) with the adult man he is now. Watching Kiel and Carly take such great care of their daughter has filled me with awe ~ a mixture of pride and love and tenderness. Now we are in Kiel's home and he is telling us what to do as we care for his child. It is the essence of the circle of life that we experience today.
Which leads me to explain why there will be no pictures of Tala in this blog. Kiel and Carly have asked that we not post pictures on social media in an effort to protect Tala's privacy for as long as is humanly possible. If her name was Mary Smith, that would not be an issue. But Tala and her unique last name is probably a one and only, so we will let her be the one to decide when her picture will go out to the world wide web. We do have a picture of Kiel and Carly's home in West Hartford to share with you so that you can see the lovely place where they live. And, it is lovely here.
Ah, she is up from her nap. Signing off for now...
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