Evidence: Leia & Evidence: Annie

Evidence: Leia! Here are some various and sundry reptiles on bubble wrap all sorted in some meaningful way known only to Leia Rose. : )

And here is my first, . . . Evidence: Annie! Annie certainly sat right in the middle of this circle! She was given a pile of interesting toys, and as she explored them, they slowly moved further and further away until they were right out of arms reach. The only gap in the toys (except for the crinkle ball) was right where her back was. The silver ice cream scoop was obviously played with last and, perhaps, most of all.

And I'm afraid taking this picture made me quite teary-eyed and thoughtful. Annie obviously sat in this "circle" for a long time. It was while I was making dinner, actually. I vividly remember turning to her from across the room at one point and saying "shake, shake, shake!" while she shook her butterfly rattle. She looked at me and smiled, shaking it again. I could have put her upstairs in her Johnny-Jump-Up watching Baby Bach or something, . . . but I didn't. Perhaps I should have sat her up on the counter in the bumbo so she could watch me? . . . but I didn't. It just made me think of how little of the day Annie still spends awake. (Usually only 6 or 7 hours.) And how much of that time I have to spend making a meal or getting someone "ready for the day" or doing chores. Leia Rose always wants me to play with her. There's always someone coming over. There's just always something, . . . and Annie (as the second child) just seems to get so much less time with me sitting there and totally concentrating on her and her development. I just remember having so much time with Leia doing that very thing that I was searching for more to do, . . . and now I find myself cherishing every small game, every book, every song, every diaper change, or even every simple moment where Annie can receive my full attention. And as much as I don't take those moments for granted like I may have with my first, it still makes me sad. Perhaps, also, it's that Annie is so very good that she actually requires less attention. It's been a worry of mine from the beginning. I guess I'll just keep trying to do my best.