Bathing Beauty

DNA is crazy! I am amazed how we humans are born with such strong likes and dislikes. I have watched my own two children, numerous nieces and nephews, a few god-children, and now two grandchildren come into the world...and their personalities and proclivities seem so immediately obvious.

Lila Blue is definitely a water person. Even running the tap in the sink has a calming effect on her, and when you put her INTO the water she is transported from fussy to fascinated in a nano-second.

I received the gift of babysitting her for two evenings while visiting the kids this past week, but I was a little apprehensive at first. Though I'm pretty confident in my parenting skills, her colicky behavior presented some big challenges last time she was with us. I must say that she is truly a different baby now, as her tummy has matured, but she is still kinda cranky.

Mari and Jeremy gave me lots of advice for keeping her happy before they set off for Jer's company Christmas party on Friday night...Pink Floyd, candlelight, the microwave fan, and a shower with her as last resort. I didn't feel comfortable getting in the shower with her alone...there should be back up for that, I think...so we pulled out the as-yet unused deluxe baby tub that fits neatly into the double kitchen sink, has some kind of apparatus for flushing the "dirty" water, and even displays the water temperature. So when all else failed it was into the tub...for about 40 minutes! After that a bottle of mother's milk and down for the count. Magic!

On Monday night the kids went to a friend's house for dinner and a hot tub and I felt much more comfortable...until I remembered that Grandma Jan had taken the deluxe tub (and Lila Blue) to her house that day while Mari and I went shopping. Yikes! Well, call me resourceful...or desperate...but when nothing else seemed to please her she got her second spa treatment of the day. I found the "Bumbo" (another soft rubber miracle) and put it in the kitchen sink, filled it with warm water and voila...sweet, happy baby!

Lila Blue and I were cooing at each other over the changing table when the kids came home and I was weeping tears of joy at how she has grown, what a marvelous little person she is, and the blessings she has brought to our family.

I love you, my little bathing beauty!

For new pix, click on the Photo Album at right titled Lila Blue at Two Months. View slideshow for largest photos.