let's all just gush over the baby

Last week I held the honor of babysitting Little Miss. Her mom handed me to her and then waved goodbye and told me she would be back in a few hours. I closed the door and looked down at this beautiful face. She looked at me, let out one quick scream, fussed for two seconds and then promptly closed her eyes and never opened them again for the next hour. (Not kidding about the promptly closing her eyes and never opening them up again.)

It was such a warm and friendly greeting.

I carried her upstairs and laid her on my bed and covered her with her blanket and walked out. She remained in her passed-out stage for an hour and then woke up and shouted into the silence of the bedroom until I rushed up to get her.  I fed her a warm bottle, which she completely guzzled, and then we hung out for a bit in front of the computer and did some Facebook and Pinterest. (Screen time isn't an issue with them yet right?) And then she passed out again from being in the warmth of my arms. Or maybe it was the milk coma?

Later on we picked up the kids from school, who were very excited to have a little passenger with them. They held her hands the entire way home and made sure she was comfortable and happy. My son made quite the impression on Little Miss. She gave him the biggest flirty smiles you have ever seen. Of course Bean's feelings were hurt because she did not get the same reception so I had to coax her back and encourage her not to take it all so personally.

She eventually resumed the big-sister role and cuddled with her, fed her another bottle (which she guzzled), and hung out on the floor with her. Little Miss reciprocated with smiles and coos and Bean was quite in love.

I have not babysat a tiny baby in years. Funny how it all comes back to you. The way you pick them up, swoosh them in your arms, bounce them. I even found myself understanding the baby-talk, the revving up of her "I'm hungry" engine with small little short cries as she tried to communicate, get my attention. I explained this all to Bean and we listened and smiled and then watched her come unglued as we got her bottle ready--watched her attack the bottle with a ferocity of a hungry cub.

We loved watching her little legs kick and pedal in time with her arms. Her eyes followed the bright lights and then locked on to my big camera lens. She studied everything with rapt attention, soaking it all up like a sponge.

All this made me want another baby...for like two seconds, and then the feelings passed.  But those two seconds were filled with such grief over the passing of those days when I had my own babies. They have grown so big that I cannot believe I am actually beginning to think about what it will be like to be a grandma. (I know!)

Holy cow. I gotta slow down or I'm gonna age myself faster than you can say "let's all gush over the baby." For now, I think I will stick with just being the babysitter.

And gush over this face...

What's not to love about that face?! (The bunny was Bean's idea.)