The other night, while I was giving Lily a bath, watching her play a game of herding all the bath toys to one end of the tub and then the other, I remarked to myself on how she is becoming such a kid. It's the subtle things - the way she relates to her toys, her facial expressions, the way she moves her little hands - that show me how each day she is leaving behind babyhood and becoming a kid. Watching her play in the water, I thought about some pictures that I took of Julia in our neighborhood wading pool, and realized that she was just about the same age that Lily is now. It was such a gift to be able to throw Julia in the stroller on a warm day and go hang out in the sun and splash around. When Julia was diagnosed in the summer of 2005, I realized with a sadness that we would have to forgo our trips to the pool while she was in treatment. Now, when I walk or drive past the snow covered pool, I get tinges of excitement thinking about how much fun Lily will have this summer.
Julia, at 16 months, splashing in the wading pool.
When I went to find the pictures of Julia at the pool, I became lost looking at all the pictures of her at 16-ish months (and was blown away by how similar my two girls sometimes look!). This is the age when I watched Julia become a kid - playing in the pool, helping Dad water the garden, showing me her blossoming personality in all the wonderful and crazy things she'd do throughout the day. And I feel overwhelmed with gratitude (as well as disbelief) that I am fortunate enough to watch a second little girl embark on this journey into kidhood.
I tried Julia's old snowpants on Lily one day
to see if they'd fit, and now she wants to wear
them around the house - all day, every day.
I see so many similarities in their facial expressions, especially as Lily gets a little older. But it's quite a fun contrast to see the sunny swimmer next to the bundled up snowpants girl!
ReplyDeleteJulia has the most perfect marshmellow arms in that picture! The squeeziest, plumpiest little arms and face. I'm so happy that Lily is following in her big sister's footsteps, they are my dream squeeze girls.
ReplyDeleteEvery day that goes by I have some thought of Julia: a memory, a picture, a song, a sound, a prayer, another little girl about that age. Everyday and it never goes away, her little spirit, her beauty, how smart she was, what she was becoming, how much she means to me pesonally, to our family, to her family and how much she means to other people. You are dearly loved and is deeply missed beyond what words can describe. 04-14-09 you would been 6 years old...GP Joe, GM Marilyn
ReplyDelete