To My Girls - Love, Papa

What better time than 2 hours before sunrise on a Sunday morning to submit my reflections on 3 years of my Big Girl Nora and my little Baby Elise? This, as Elise has just brought tears to my eyes by staring at me with a gradual change of facial expressions that may have been gas (or worse), but to me, just looked like recognition and a sweet smile, meant to melt my heart. And it worked! As Naomi has mentioned here and elsewhere, these early early pre-dawn hours can be the sweetest times. Coffee, quiet, and a few uninterrupted moments with one or two well-rested children. Sure, it's never easy being the one to take that call and get up before the clock ticks 6:00, but these two have a way of making it worth your while. And in typical fashion, just as I try to steal a few moments to catch up on this blog, Nora is at the top of the stairs yelling, "Papa! I'm ready to get dressed and come downstairs!" Good girl, letting Mama sleep in...


Last night, Nora had one of her brief spats of frustration where she did a little hitting, kicking and intentional spilling, landing herself in "quiet time" in her reading nook before dinner. A few minutes later, I went over to check on her and she had scribbled two notes, one for me and one for Naomi. I asked her what mine said and she replied, "It says, 'I love you papa and I'm lonely and I miss you when you are gone at work.'" Well, just break my heart, why don't you??? I miss you when I'm at work, too, Nora and I absolutely adore it when you call me and we talk on the phone during the day! And I love it when I come home and you knock me over with your welcoming hugs. Although, sometimes you protest my return by hiding from me and screaming when I try to hug you. I get it, you want me to know how it felt when I left. You can be stubborn and difficult (I hear you get this from me), but you are also an expert at expressing how you feel in a very direct way (you didn't get that from me). No matter what, though, you always recover with loving words and embraces. For several months now, I've been guilty of falling asleep in your big girl bed long before you do while you read me books as part of our nightly routine! The other night, we fell asleep nose to nose and when you woke up in the morning, you came and fetched me to come back to your bed for cuddles. Your story telling, make believe play, dance routines, and conversation (and now, potty skills) have become so "grown up." It's all happening SO FAST, but you're still my little baby girl!


Elise, you don't say much, but you have so much to say! Your screeches have evolved from little raptor squeaks to full on exclamations that clearly say "hands off!" or "feed me!" or "pick me up!" When you aren't vocalizing your feelings at high volumes, you're beaming at us with your two-toothed, full body "starfish" smiles or squeezing us with your super strong, super tiny fingers. You went from just plain sitting up, to pulling yourself up to a stand, and from 360 seated spins, to kick-stand crawling halfway across the living room, all in a matter of weeks. You continue to amaze us with your early potty instincts and impress us with your copious 9-month peach fuzz and jelly rolls. Your love of apples is rivaled only by that of your big sister and you've started to show a taste for veggies as well, but you believe firmly that nothing (I repeat, NOTHING) beats mums from the tap! As I mentioned before, you can melt a groggy daddy heart through the haze of a 6 AM Sunday morning wake-up call, but you're still tough enough to hold your own when your big sister wants you to do something you're not ready for!


The two of you are already showing each other (and us) so much love and I'm sure that the battles and tears (good and bad) will only grow. And if the first 3 years of Nora and the first 9 months of seeing you both together are any indication, Naomi and I are going to have our hands full, but are guaranteed some amazing times!


I love you Nora. I love you Elise.

PS: I love you too Naomi!