cozy little world

I LOVE my daughter.  If you don't want to hear me ramble on about this, just stop reading.  Because I just have to get this out:  Lucy is wonderful.  WONDERFUL, I say!  I've gotten to spend several whole (non-working) days in her sweet company, and I'm more smitten than before (although I'm not entirely sure how that's possible).  She has such a sweet personality, I want to remember what life is like with her RIGHT NOW.  (In fact, if I could freeze time, I'd be very tempted to stay in today :).  Some things I love seeing:

• She's saying "wow!" a lot.  It's SO fun, and sometimes surprising, to see what merits a "wow!"  (Today: new boots, a t.v. kiss, baby Jesus, a clementine, and a book, just to name a few).
• She touches the tops of bottles (lotions, shampoos), rubs her hands together, and then snaps them up to her hair.  It seems I put a lot of product in her hair :)
• She waves so her hand faces inward, waving at herself.
• She is sometimes in such a hurry crawling away that she has to wave behind her back.
• She says "bah-bye" really quietly when she can tell we're ready to leave (but before I've said it).
• She can go get a book or a baby when I ask her to.  It's so neat that we're communicating.  I love it!
• She climbs up into her little rocking chair, holds her baby tightly and pats her, rocks her, and sings to her. 
• I say "aww" when she holds a baby close or gives a hug sometimes, so now she says it for me.  It's so sweet to see her snuggle her baby and say "aww".
• She says "quack quack."  She makes the sound in the back of her throat and it kind of sounds like "cok cok" and it is SO cute.  She makes the sound whenever she sees a duck (and also for many other animals :)
• She is moving her hand back and forth as fast as she can.  It doesn't really seem very fast, but she kind of holds her head back and then is so thrilled with herself that you can tell she thinks it's out-of-control fast and pretty dang impressive!
• She says hi to everyone, and if they don't respond, they almost get a "hi" yelled at them, like, "Hey, what are you doing? I'm saying HI over here!"
• I pat my heart and say "mama" and then pat her heart and say "Lucy".  So now she (mimicking me) pats her heart and says "mama". 
• When she's really tired, she throws her body across my chest and puts her head on my shoulder and starts singing (as in, rock me and sing to me, I'm ready for bed).
• Her singing is mosly the syllable "ya", and is usually very soulful.  The eyebrows knit in, her head tilts back, her lips pucker out, and she croons a slow "ya ya yaaaa."  It's really funny when she  laughs at herself, and then switches back to the serious, soulful singing, and back.
• Sometimes when I tuck her in she has to take out her pacifier to sing with me a bit, then she pops it back in.
• She dances very happily.
• She bobs her head back and forth and says ba-ba-ba-baaa.
• She smiles at me every morning when I come in to get her, like, "Oh good!  There you are!"  Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a morning person, but that sure is nice way to start your day.

There was this moment today while she was drinking her bottle, and she took it out and we both ended up with milk splattered in our faces, and I wiped us off and we both just cracked up--really laughing, over something so silly.  It just made me so happy.

There is a book we read (Personal Penguin) where it says, "If I could be yours and you could be mine, our cozy little world would be twice as nice."  I feel like we have a very nice, cozy little world together, and I know this is just the beginning.  I am so blessed. 

Thank you Lord for bringing Lucy into my life.  Thank you for making that step of your plan clear and for this resulting joy.  Thank you for answering so very many prayers--a healthy baby, good bonding, laughter, financial peace, great support, and overwhelming love for my daughter!  AMEN.