I was able to go home a couple weekends ago and had a blast spending time with family and getting to know my Kayla now that she's 6 months old. The last time I saw her... 2 weeks old. HUGE difference. She has a funny personality and yet is very laid back. She looks just like my Graddy and Bud. Like her Awa who had no hair until I was almost two, she also has no hair except for a little wisp of a rat-tail on the back of her head near her neck. It's funny but sweet. She krinkles her nose when she is about to laugh. And makes this funny "ooh" sound while her eyebrows are plastered on top of her forehead when she's excited.
I went home because we were having a Raley reunion. We were missing some because we are strewn from Maryland to Florida to Texas. I found myself often just sitting there and taking it all in. I'm usually right in the middle of activity but became the observant one this time. Not sure why. My Meemaw would have loved it! I loved every minute of it as well . . . my dad and his brothers and sister doing the whole kareoke thing . . . catching up with cousins I only see at Christmas or funerals . . . watching how the dynamic of having Kim and Kayla as part of the family seemed to "complete" things . . . the realization of how many children there were running around from the next generation and wondering if they will look back fondly on family memories the same way we do . . . and laugh at the generation before them the same way we do . . . the overwhelming knowlege that this is a rarity in the world we live in. Family. What an incredible blessing we have been given.
While home, due to Kim and Bud's schedules, Kayla pretty much spent the whole weekend at Mom and Dad's house with us. I am so thankful for that time. Even though Kayla won't necessarily remember it in years to come, the bond has been forged. Life will never be the same. Earlier in the week before I arrived, Kayla was introduced to real food . . . still mushed up beyond recognition . . . but real food nonetheless. She loves sweet potatos. Given the opportunity to feed her green beans for the first time, I decided she didn't she like green beans too much. But after her Mama came in and started to feed her, I realized it was all in the delivery. See, I think I automatically go into "triplet" mode when I'm around babies. I change diapers at lighten
ing speed. I can bath a baby in 10.4 seconds flat. And when it comes to feeding, well, my brain is trained that there's no time to dawdle and play "airplane" or "here it comes" or giggle while watching the gleeful emotion pass over the child's face as they realize more of the yummy stuff is coming. Get in there and get the job done because there are two others who want their food as well. But as Mama came in, started playing "Here it comes", she quickly made a liar of Awa. Oh well . . . lesson learned . . . Mama always does things better!
