Counting Our Little Blessings, Wherever We Find Them

(sorry you have to turn your head sideways on this photo)
Well, our little Baby B has changed from an adoring, smiling-at-anyone kind of baby to a suspicious, scrutinizing and discriminating child in the space of a couple weeks. Stranger anxiety and suspicion has replaced widespread acceptance and congeniality. People walk up and coo and talk to her, and she gives them a once-over glance. She was cool to Grandma Downs, who recently returned from the British Isles and stopped by yesterday for a visit. Jack said she was not her usual smiley self. Of course, she hadn't seen her grandma in a month, and to a baby who is only 6 and a half months old, that's an eternity.

The day before yesterday, Brigid barely slept a wink. Yesterday, she took three good, long naps, most likely making up for lost time. She even slept a little last night before Jack got home from work. He then had her in bed while I was getting ready for bed and I heard her, crying bloody hell. I went in and she was sitting there, screaming in his face. I said, "Hey, what's this?" and she turned to me, all smiles, like, "Mommy's back. Yay!" She definitely has her preferences when push comes to shove. Part of me gets all warm inside, but the other part of me knows she needs to do what Daddy tells her, too.

Today was parents lunch at Oak Street so I met Patricia for lunch, or I should say for a brief exchange before recess. I got there early so I sat out in the lobby of the school waiting for her class to come by. When they did, I went with them to the line and it was with military precision that the kids got their trays and orders taken care of. The gym, where they eat, was chaos and the kids were shoveling in their lunch in order to be ready to line up when the monitors called their class to leave for recess. So the visiting part of lunch was limited to brief hellos, a few words between bites of pizza and then a quick, "That's our class! Bye, Mom!" It was all over in aout 15 minutes. But I think she was glad I was there. There weren't many parents there. It's the little things that count.