Hi Brudda Brudda Ben

I wish you could hear Natalie talk to Ben.  She uses the funniest little voice, and the funniest baby talk. The part that strikes me about it is that I tried hard to never use baby talk with her, which I think is really evident now that she's really talking.  She doesn't have weird names for anything and can say any word you ask her to repeat.  Anyway, when she talks to Ben though...oh boy.

It goes something like this: "Hi there Brudda (brother) Ben.  Hey Brudda Brudda.  Aren't you a cutie boy.  Aww...such a muscle man."  I could listen to it all day, and it cracks me up every time.  It also, apparently, cracks Ben up, because he wears a giant smile and gives a good belly laugh whenever she spies his big sis.

Ben is quite the tummy time champ.  He is so, so close to rolling over...from back to tummy.  He didn't get the memo that it's much easier the other way, but whatever.  For what it's worth, Nat went from back to tummy first, too.  When he does tummy time now, he is raising his hips up off the ground and balancing on his toes.  I wonder if he'll be an early crawler?

And then there's Nat, who is just as sweet (and also devilish) as she can be.  I've been a little under the weather for nearly a week now, and was diagnosed this week with mastitis.  After 48 hours on antibiotics (with 12 days to go), sleeping in until 10:00 this morning, and an afternoon nap, I am FINALLY starting to feel a little on the mend.  Anyway, at 10:00 this morning, I felt a little face in mine, then a body over mine and into bed next to me.  She weaseled her way under the covers, put her hands on my face and said, "I just love you so much, mama."  Talk about a way to wake up.  She continued to rub my arm and face and say things like, "mama not feel good.  mama sick.  I love you, mama."  

It's so easy to focus on the rotten things that she does, but today was such a good reminder that despite all her trying behavior, she really is such a sweet and caring kid.  This evening, I scooped her up and we continued to talk about mama being sick.  I can't really blame her, first Turner was sick, then Cici and then suddenly they both weren't around anymore.  So, I told her I'd always be here for her and that mama isn't going anywhere.  Promises I hope beyond hope that I can deliver on.

Because it is Saturday, I felt like poo, and it was snowing, we all stayed in jammies until almost dinner. It was wonderful!

Nat and Ben practice tummy time together....