Through the Eyes of a Three-Year-Old

This past weekend, we piled our little family into the car and headed for Logan to attend my cousin's wedding and our nephew's baby blessing. Rather than riding up on Saturday and then making the long, dark drive home -- only to get up early the next morning and drive up again in time for the blessing -- we got a room at the Super8 and stayed the night. Now, as accomodations go, one can go A LOT swankier than the Super8. However, if you're on a budget and you're just looking for a way to avoid cranky children, the Super8 will probably fit the bill. When I walked into the lobby and took stock of my surroundings, these were my observations: duct tape covering the places where the carpet had worn through; the more-than-slightly-noticeable scent of air freshener (this always makes me a little nervous because I always wonder what odor they're trying to cover up) and flourescent lighting (which makes everyone look sooooo attractive!). These were Amanda's comments: "They have a TV and everything!"; "When can we go swimming?"; "Look! A microwave!"; "Are we camping?" (we brought Amanda's sleeping bag, which created some confusion); "This is so fun!"

At the wedding reception that evening, Logan let Amanda go wild with our camera. The results were...interesting. I hadn't really considered the view of the world from Amanda's perspective. Now I know that it is comprised of a lot of midsections and backsides (what Logan affectionately termed "The Butts and Guts Tour"). Anyway, all of this made me think a little bit about what life must be like through the eyes of a three-year-old. Amanda speaks as though she's older than she really is, and I forget sometimes that she's barely three; in my eyes, she's my little companion! It's hard for me to comprehend that she has hopes and dreams -- but that they revolve around what she's having for lunch and whether or not I'm going to let her watch Toy Story 2 for the billionth time.

I remember that when Lily was born, I worried that I wouldn't make enough time for Amanda and that she would feel left out. In reality, I think the opposite has actually come true! Lily's old enough now to be demanding, but for a long time, Amanda's needs seemed more pressing because she could articulate them. Now I just hope that I haven't scarred Lily for life by neglecting her in her infancy. : ) She seems happy and well-adjusted for the most part. But I do think she could benefit from more one-on-one time with me (and Logan too, but he's not around until April anyway; we'll all just have to wait our turn with him!), and I've been trying to do that more lately.

I go in for another prenatal visit on Thursday. I have passed the 35 week mark! I'm going to have to figure out a way to bribe my doctor into doing my C-section on President's Day (the only day of the week he does surgeries is Monday). If he won't, then I'm going to have to wait until the actual due date (February 25th), and I already feel like I'm going to explode. Hopefully I'll just go into labor on my own. Then he'll have no choice but to get this baby out of me, no matter what day it is!