Mama

Dear Sonia,

You love your mama. You make it very known. You hate it when she leaves a room. You hate it when she doesn't come back. You cry "mamamammamama" the whole time she's gone. There's very little that will distract you.

Luckily, you are only tiny, so you forget to be mad and laugh if something's funny, which is great. But then you remember, and cry "mamamamammamaam" with renewed insistence. You do not care who has you while this is going on: me, Papa, Nana, even, sometimes, your Dad. Jeez. :)

This is entirely normal behavior for a 16-month-old and it is even more normal for one who flies for-seemingly-ever on a plane, lands in a strange place, sleeps in a strange crib, then drives to Boston, sleeps the next night in a strange port-a-crib-pack-and-play thing and then drives back and sleeps again in the first crib and then the next night, Daddy materializes from nowhere. All this while during the day, you are subjected to saying hello and goodbye to a never-ending stream of rather large and rather loud strangers who keep telling you they love you and screaming your name over and over. I'd cry "mammamammamama" too if I was you.

The visit was lovely. I am awaiting photos from your mom of you and I swinging together on the big kid swing. You are laying on me, relaxed as can be, really enjoying your swing. It was the sweetest moment of my life to date. And here that is in writing.

You are smart as a whip, talking up a storm, running all over the place, and smacking your face on tables and bleeding! A lot for a little girl. And I get to see you again in only one more week in Buffalo. What a treat.

Love you, chickie, Chomp! Bluuuuuue-berrriess!

Auntie K