Read To Me

The other day, I went in to get Mim up from her nap and found that she had surprisingly just fallen back to sleep, after being up and playing in her crib minutes ago.  I quietly ran down and grabbed my camera and snapped one adorable sleeping picture before her eyes popped back open.  I'm such a sucker for cute baby sleeping photos, but I also live in fear of waking my little sleeping beauties up, so I never take photos in their rooms while they sleep.  

This child always wakes in the best mood.  She's happy and sweet and ready to snuggle in the chair and read books together.  Unlike her brother (and mother), who takes a while to get it together and snap out of that funk of being awake, this little nugget happily plays in her crib snuggling her kitty and listening to the music from her little fish tank.  She sings and smiles and squeals as she plays until someone comes and gets her up.  She is such a delight.

I feel like she's in midst of the most magical age right now.  She's walking and talking and exploring on her own, but she's still so baby-like and snuggly.  She loves being held just as much as she loves running away from me.  She is so fearless these days, chasing after her big brother and insisting on doing so much on her own.  She loves swings and slides - the bigger, higher, faster, the better.  She eats nonstop...basically any food you put in front of her.  She's eating less paper these days, but more dirt and mulch.  She has the sweetest jibber-jabber and talks nonstop all day with incredible authority and conviction, yet I have no idea what she's saying.  She knows quite a few signs and has amazing manners for a baby.  She has the sweetest smile, the brightest eyes and the most adorable little blonde curls.  

One of her favorite things to do right now is sit in my lap (or anyone's lap, really) and read books. She LOVES books!  Actually, it doesn't seem to matter which book we read or whether it's a book at all.  Together, we've read board books, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, bills, flyers and birthday cards.  Whatever she can find with words on it, she brings to me and insists on sitting in my lap and reading it.  I think mainly she just loves to be held, read to and snuggled.  It reminds me of a quote I once heard that went something like, "reading to a child before they can even understand words teaches them to associate books with love and affection."  I think that's exactly what we're doing.  

Of course, she has her favorites.  Dear Zoo is a big hit at our house, both because of the flaps to open and she gets to growl like a lion. We also love Hand Hand Fingers Thumb, But Not The Hippopotamus, Peek-a-Who?, anything with Spot, Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Gorilla, I Love You Through and Through, Olivia and Moo Baa La La La.  Any time there's an animal on the page, she has to hug or kiss it.  It takes forever to get through a book, but it's so worth it.  I just can't get enough of her these days.  This age really is magical. 

What's your child's favorite book right now?