(Sleeping Ana.)
Ana is two and a half weeks old. It feels like she has been part of the family for months. It is odd to think she was born just three Fridays ago. She is doing great, looking beautiful, super gorgeous and sweet and adorable and lovable. She is in that early phase of life where she is mostly asleep or eating and so I consider it a special gift when she is perfectly content and awake and I get to hold her. Asleep is ok too. Her head is SO soft with her silky hair. I think it is the softest surface I have ever touched. Her cheeks and head are delightful to kiss as is her neck and I try to get in a full ration of kisses every day.
(My beautiful girls.)
Ana Uku is, in other words, so incredibly beautiful and perfect. And I love her.
(Monte the recliner.)
Enzo continues to be gentle and sweet with his sister "baby." They get along well. I've also been watching Enzo and our dog Monte and realizing that Monte is becoming Enzo's dog instead of mine or Tami's. There are times now and then when Monte would like a short break from all of the attention Enzo gives during their playtime and that can sometimes include Monte being hugged and poked and kissed/bitten and adored by Enzo for quite a while. Enzo loves his dog. He also likes to play in the cloth dog kennel in the living room, with or without Monte, but especially with. Yesterday Monte got in trouble and I sent him to his kennel. You would think that Enzo just received the coolest prize ever. His smile became huge, he screamed out in excitement, and ran the fastest his little 16 and a half month old legs could run to join Monte, and then dove in to the kennel. Poor dog got more than he bargained for but he certainly didn't get time to reflect on his misbehavior. Enzo eventually calmed down in there and he and I blew kisses to each other through the mesh windows. It was a fun way to spend time after work. Speaking of Enzo looking as though he just received the coolest prize ever, he only looks that excited about people at this point and that is awesome.... especially when it's for me.
(He is such a happy kid.)
Someone told Tami that Ana would have me wrapped around her finger. Tami replied yes she would but she couldn't see how Ana would have me any more wrapped then Enzo has already. I like that story. I adore these kids. They can have me wrapped around their fingers all they like, so long as I still know when to dig my heels in for their own well being and happiness. Otherwise, I have never been happier at the service and whim of others.
(Tami taught Enzo to smell flowers and here he is giving her a flower petal to smell.)
(Enzo and Papi on the beach.)
As I said, it feels like all four of us have been together for longer than the two and a half weeks since Ana has joined us on the outside. In that brief time, I have a couple of new treasured family memories. Twice now we have spent the day at the beach. Once we were at Twin Lakes beach in Santa Cruz and Ana spent the time in the shade with her Mama while Enzo "swam" in the sand and explored the beach. He wasn't interested in the ocean itself on that day. The other time was in Capitola with Nicole and Shea. Ana stayed snuggled up with Mama In one of her baby wearing carriers and Enzo explored ocean and beach and had a great time chasing around Shea's orange beach ball. It was great for me to see him playing with the water rising up his legs, watching him run away and into the water, looking and picking up rocks and kelp, and loving him right where the great big ocean of the world meets the land. My other new memories involve staring closely at Ana Uku in my arms and kissing her gently on her head, neck, and cheeks. I can recreate the memory perfectly of how soft and beautiful she is as I sit here miles away right now. And I know that someday I will not likely be able to do that, memories being imperfect as they are. I'll have to be satisfied knowing that I treasured the experience absolutely while I had it to live.
