Lil' Lil Is Growing Up!

I've been telling everyone how much Lili has changed in the past few weeks since I've been here and how she seems like a completely different child than the one I left behind. Every time Drew calls to tell me about their day and the funny little things she did, I realize how critical this time is for her and the transformation that she is going through. Before I was admitted, our nightly routine was to give her a bath and then she and I would sit on the couch and have a delicious bottle of soy milk (yes, she does still have one bottle each day...right before bed...and frankly, with all of the other changes in her life right now...I'm more than happy to give it to her!). She would always sit on my lap, cradled in my arms and when she was done I would tell her it's bedtime and carry her to her crib where she went right to sleep. Apparently the "new" bedtime routine is that Drew gives her a bath and as he's getting her into her pjs, SHE STARTS SAYING "BA-BA? BA-BA?" (Ba-Ba in our house obviously means bottle). Drew puts her down and tells her that yes, it's time for Ba-Ba...so she WALKS HERSELF TO THE KITCHEN AND STANDS BY THE REFRIGERATOR. Drew gets her bottle and she RUNS (yes, my baby has graduated from walking to running) to the living room where SHE PULLS HERSELF UP ON THE COUCH and waits for Drew to arrive with her Ba-Ba. She sits NEXT to Drew, all snuggled up against him while she has her Ba-Ba and they watch The Simpsons on TV. When she's had enough, she GIVES HER BA-BA BACK TO DREW and Drew asks, "Is it bedtime?" THE LITTLE MONKEY GETS OFF THE COUCH, WALKS DOWN THE HALL AND STANDS IN FRONT OF HER CRIB!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!?!? WHERE IS MY SWEET BABY WHO USED TO SHARE HER BEFORE BEDTIME BOTTLE TIME WITH MAMA ALL CRADLED IN HER ARMS????? MY LILI IS LIKE A LITTLE PERSON NOW!!!!!!! So...I definitely have my excited moments thinking how cute it is that she's doing these things......but then those are usually followed by some sad moments thinking about how big she's getting and how I am missing this transition from "baby" into "little girl". I know there are plenty of changes to look forward when I get back, but it sure does stink that I can't be there now!