This and that

Let me introduce y'all to someone.  This is Nikki.   She's two and a half months old, and just learned how to laugh.  Which is good, because her crying breaks the heart!    She's our Baby Bit and we're still figuring out how to cope with her, the colic, and her sister, Little Bit all at the same time.

Today, a lesson I'd learned two years ago was reinforced with a vengeance.  Did you know that as a parent/caretaker to a toddler, you're not allowed to use the bathroom alone?  It's true.  When I first learned this, (my mom said that she hadn't been allowed to use the bathroom alone for about twenty years by her calculations) Little Bit would stand at the end of the hallway where the baby gate was and call our names in the most heartbreaking way imaginable.  Since potty training, we're sometimes allowed to go alone.

I wasn't today.  I went to take a shower.  Nikki was with my mom and I guess Evie wanted to see me.  I'd stripped off my clothes when she walked in.  "Hey, Laura!  Whatcha doing?"

I told her I was about to take a shower.  "Okay, I leave door open so I can find you."  And then she stood there until I'd gotten in and shut the curtain.  Usually, I shower at night so that there can be two of us there--one for each child.  And LB is usually perfectly happy to climb into my lap to read stories or spend time coloring or finger painting.  But last night I'd just been too tired and fallen asleep instead.  I learned something else once I got out--I'm not allowed to get dressed by myself, either.  LB wanted to help pick out clothes for me to wear.  So, once again, she comes in to find me nekkid and trying to get on clothes without dropping the towel because I heard her following me to my bedroom!

 I swear, with my little duckling, I'm going to start teaching her to sew out of self-defense, because she wants to do everything "my Laura" does and also tries to 'help' when I'm sewing!