Making time

How could I not love this photo? Walking in on Papa and Elisa playing in her room the other morning, I found them all cuddled up in her big girl bed. I have been there myself a few times recently and it always amuses me how much she enjoys that little bit of alone time with me. We play with dolls or stuffed animals or she just tells me to shut my eyes and then wakes me up. It's the kind of time that I feel like I record in my mind so I'll remember exactly how she was at this age. You can't get enough of it. Of course, Elisa loves when either of us joins her in her pretend sleep, but I think this morning in particular, Papa was trying to squeeze in a few more minutes of actual sleep. He looks a little too cozy, right?

I think we both are finding life with two kiddos is not the same daunting transition that it was from 0 to 1. Maybe we just hit rock bottom with the colicky first one so anything had to be better. And the 5 and 6 hour stretches of sleep we're getting a night aren't hurting either. Oops, did I just admit that? [I hope Carolina's not reading this. Keep it up, babe!] But it's also true that life with Elisa can be a handful at times. For as much fun as we have with her, she also demands so much more than a newborn. So much attention. So much "Look at me, mom! Look at me dance!" It's a lot to keep up at the same time as we're trying to enjoy this special time with Carolina. But I think even a few minutes a day of alone time with Elisa is helpful to keep some semblance of balance. She clearly thrives on it and it's a good reminder for me that she will always be my little girl. And if there's a little shuteye involved, then all the better.