Pouch Envy (originally posted on 2/25/07)

What I woudn't do for a kangaroo's pouch this weekend! Scott and Brady traveled to Iron Mountain, MI for their annual "Boys Only" weekend on Friday. Since saying good-bye to Daddy after her follow-up visit with the ear/nose/throat specialist, Nora has been clinging to me like a joey to her mama's pouch. Along with accompanying me to the bathroom, she has observed mommy making toast and buttering it with one hand, changing Veggie Tales movies from the DVD player in one fell swoop and multiple one-handed juice cup refills. Although she prefers the right hip, I have attempted to shift her to the left so I don't get abnormally 'bulked up' on the right side. :) I'm sure there is a medical reason (i.e., back strain) that the Baby Bjorn carrier and other such devices are not made large enough to hold a 26 lb. two-year old, which brings me back to the pouch - a brilliant design for these such occasions when our sick children require 24/7 contact with us. I have plenty of extra skin from 3 pregnancies, but I don't know any good plastic surgeons. (Sorry, I think that might have been a little too gross for some of you!).Along with the mental advice I have been giving myself over the last few days, things like, "she'll be in kindergarten before you know it"; "cherish this time as it goes so fast"; "you'll wish she wanted to spend this much time with you when she gets older"; I think a quote from the Smith Matriarch would also be appropriate for my post on this toddler stage: "This too shall pass."That's it for typing today. I need to go rest my right arm.