Sweet Baby

Very gradually, I've been getting things ready for Emmie's arrival. I've washed all the newborn clothes and some of the 0-3 month clothes and put them away in drawers. Yesterday, I marked a couple more things off my list. I cleared all of the stuff that had accumulated on the changing table, wiped it down, tightened the screws, and put a clean cover on the changing pad.

When Lucy saw it, she was very excited about the changing table and ran to get one of her dolls. She announced that her baby was poopy and needed to be changed on the changing table. I got her a stool and helped her buckle the belt (the "feetbelt" as Lucy called it). She undressed her baby, took the diaper off, and asked for a wipe. I got her a wipe, and she wiped the babies bottom thoroughly and announced, "All treen (clean)." She is unable to dress or diaper the baby by herself, so I did that part. Within three minutes, that baby doll was poopy again, and we went through the same routine again. And three minutes later, it happened again. Poopy baby was THE game to play all day and part of this morning. She did take a break yesterday when the baby needed to sleep on the changing table. Lucy kept saying something that sounded like "sheep dreams," which with her is a real possibility. Eventually, I figured out that she was saying "sweet dreams" as she was tucking the baby in. She must have picked it up from TV because we don't say that to her. I tend to say "sleep well" because I care more about the quality of her sleep than the flavor of her dreams. A little while later Lucy stood beside the changing table rubbing the baby's head saying, "Sweet baby. Sweet baby." Now that sounds like something she's heard. When Matt came home, he got to be the one who diapered and dressed the poopy baby. It was very cute and very sweet of Lucy to be so nurturing. Her first instinct when something isn't right iss to help or to fix it. If a baby in a store cries, she wants to help. If something on a TV program breaks, she wants to fix it. If someone in a book is dirty, she wasnts to help them wash. If she spills someting, she wants to clean it. In fact , she did that today at Shawn and Susie's. They had some clean laundry sitting out, and Lucy grabbed a pair of pants to clean up something she spilled. Now we need to teach her to do laundry. Actually, she does help me put clothes into the washer and dryer, so she would have been happy to help wash the pants.

(She also counted to 15 that day. It was a big day for her.)

After the changing table, I dusted corners and walls, washed and rehung the curtains, and swept a little. I still need to do some tidying and clean the floors thoroughly. We need to put in some shelving, convert the crib to a toddler bed for Lucy, and move the cradle into the nursery. Then at least the nursery will be ready. Once that's in good shape, I'll turn my attention to the rest of the house.

It feels like things are coming together. And it makes me feel good knowing that Lucy wants to be nurturuing and helpful. I'm still concerned about caring for two kids, especially while I'm recovering. I know Matt will take care of most things, but sometimes only mama will do, and I want to be able to cuddle and interact with both of my girls. We'll make it work somehow.