Special Visitors and Hidden Baby Talents

Hi, Everyone,

I hope that your New Year is off to a good start!

Gus, Kate and Claire had two very special visitors yesterday. Their great grandmother (my sweet Maw Maw) and great Uncle David (one of my two favorite uncles -- his brother is my other favorite uncle) came to visit them. My Maw Maw had not seen them since they were in NICU in Dallas, and this was my Uncle David's first official visit. They drove all the way from Lake Providence, LA (my hometown). The babies really responded to Maw Maw and Uncle David! I think they enjoyed having some new faces to see around here! I have always said that having a visit from Maw Maw makes everything "official"...anytime Chad and I moved to a new house, which has been frequently over the years, it never felt like HOME until Maw Maw and Uncle David came for a visit. It is the same with their visit yesterday. It was so special to have them here. I feel like everything is now "official" and I can take a deep breath! :o)

While Maw Maw and Uncle David were here, my sweet little Claire discovered that she has a new talent. Her new talent is spit-bubble-blowing. She was very amused with herself, which was funny. I have to admit that on a normal basis I am pretty repulsed by spit in general, so I was pretty surprised that I thought that this new "activity" for Claire was cute. Now, if Claire is 15 years old and still blowing spit bubbles, there might be a problem, but for now I am just going to enjoy watching her do this!

During the Christmas holidays, instead of singing regular children's songs (i.e. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, etc.) to the babies, I sang Christmas carols to them (and we listened to REAL singers on CD sing Christmas carols), which they loved. In this process of my extremely bad/off-key singing, I figured out that Kate has a favorite carol. Her favorite carol is "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"! Who knows why in the world this is her favorite, but it really is! I can sing any song, and she will grin and enjoy it, but when I sing that particular carol, she really laughs and grins! I also change the words on the second verse to "Now bring KATE some figgy pudding, now bring KATE some figgy pudding...." I think she is starting to learn the sound of her own name, which is so neat!

Gus is learning to reach and grab toys that are dangling over his face. Kate and Claire are starting to do this, too, but not to the same degree as Gus. It is so cute to watch him concentrate on the toys and work really hard to bat at them. He is also getting stronger and stronger with his "tummy time", which is wonderful because that has been such a struggle for him due to a tight neck muscle. Chad has worked on his neck (with doctor's approval) and it is so much better.

I just read what I wrote, and I know that it all probably sounds incredibly boring to you. But, it's not boring to me! I have waited a long time to see my own babies be amused by my singing, blow spit bubbles and bat at toys. It is all so fun, and this time will quickly pass...I just don't want to miss it! So, I spend my days on the floor with my babies...we sing, read, laugh and play...they nap. It's what I do now, and I would not change one single thing...

Enjoy your evening. Chad and I love and miss you all!

Love,

Leslie

P.S. The picture is of my sweet Maw Maw, Uncle David, Gus, Kate, Claire and of course, me. The babies are wearing some adorable monogrammed shirts that their MeMe gave them for Christmas. I am very self-conscious about photos of myself (no make-up, baby poundage, etc.). But, one thing I have realized is that as the years pass, these pictures of myself that I think are so horrible now will actually start to look good to me! Also, I know that it is important for my children to have pictures of me with them. Now that my mom is gone, I treasure every picture of her, but especially pictures of her with me (those that show her holding or hugging me or interacting with me are my favorites because it reminds me of how much she loved me). I want the same for Gus, Kate and Claire.