3 months
"I never want to go back," Callie whined.
"Don't be ridiculous, Cal."
"Seriously, Mark. How can I leave her at home with a stranger?"
It was Callie's last month at home with Sofia as a full-time mom, and the guilt of leaving her baby so soon was starting to eat at her. She smiled at Sofia and ran her fingers over the baby's belly.
"You don't want Mommy to leave you, right?"
"Callie, you still have a whole month left. Don't think about it yet."
"Daddy's being so silly," Callie told Sofia in a sweet voice.
Callie stood up to get a glass of water, eyes never leaving the baby, who was on her back on the floor. As she stood at the sink, Sofia's little face scrunched up.
"Mark," she called to the bedroom, "Sofia's going to poop. It's your turn to change her."
Callie smiled to herself. She really didn't mind changing Sofia's diapers; it was just more fun watching Mark squirm.
"Are you going to be stinky, baby?" she cooed.
Slowly, Sofia rolled from her back to her front, as if trying to get closer to Callie's voice.
Callie stared, speechless, tears forming in her eyes. Mark walked out of the bedroom.
"What happened? Why are you crying?" He said in a rush.
Callie pointed at Sofia. "She rolled over."
"What?"
"Maybe she'll do it again."
Callie kissed Sofia's soft black hair and turned her back over.
Sofia pumped her legs in the air. Her face scrunched up.
"That's the face she made before!" Callie bent over and sniffed at Sofia's bottom. "No poop. That must be her universal concentration face."
"She's not doing anything."
"Just give her a minute," Callie snapped.
Sofia reached up, towards Callie's face.
"It's your voice, Cal. She's trying to get closer to you."
Callie moved to Sofia's side. "Sofia, honey, show Daddy your new trick."
She began to whimper, wanting to be picked up, and then rolled from her back to stomach.
Callie scooped her up and cradled her sleepy girl close. Sofia's eyes immediately began drooping shut. Callie looked up at Mark on her way into Sofia's nursery. He stood there speechless.
2 ½
Callie pushed the stroller with one hand and held Mark's hand with the other. It was a rare, sunny spring day in Seattle and they both had the day off. Sofia had recently entered an animal obsessed phase. She refused to respond to her name, but switched off between "Baby Kitty" and "Baby Froggy."
"Sofia, are you excited to see the cows?" Mark asked her.
She gave him a stern look. "Me Baby Kitty."
"I'm sorry. Baby Kitty, are you excited to see the cows?"
Callie laughed at the interaction.
They passed through the big red barn doors and Sofia immediately began screaming.
Callie ran to pick her up from the stroller. Sofia buried her face in Callie's shoulder, soaking it with tears.
Mark gave his fiancée a quizzical look. Callie was just as confused. Sofia had so been looking forward to seeing all of her favorite farm animals.
"Sofia, look at the cows. Can you tell me what sound the cows make?"
"Moo," Sofia said into Callie's shirt.
"Sofi, will you come look at the cows with me? I think they're excited to see you too."
Mark went to take Sofia from Callie's arms.
"MOMMY!" Sofia shrieked, and tightened her grip around Callie's neck.
"Sweetie, it's okay. Daddy just wants to show you all the animals. What's wrong?"
"Big."
"What?"
Again, Callie and Mark looked at each other in confusion.
"Big cow."
It suddenly clicked. Sofia had never seen a cow up close before and the size of the cows lined up in the barn terrified her.
"Sofia, I'm going to pet the cow's nose. Would you like to do it with me?" Callie asked.
She nodded.
Callie took Sofia's small hand in hers and brushed it against the cow's nose.
Sofia giggled and lifted her head.
"See, Sof, they like you."
4
"Sofia, what do you want for breakfast?" Mark called to her from the kitchen of their new house.
"I want Mommy to make it," Sofia yelled back.
"Mommy's sleeping."
"Can we wake her up?"
"No. Your little sister is making her tired."
Callie had two more weeks of work before her leave started, and it was becoming quite a struggle to make it through full workdays at 7 ½ months pregnant.
"You don't know how to make breakfast, Daddy," Sofia said indignantly.
"Yes, Sofia, I do. How about cereal?"
"No. I want pancakes."
"Fine."
Ten minutes later, Mark slid a plate of pancakes in front of his daughter.
"Nooooo. This isn't how Mommy makes them. You made them wrong!" Sofia slid from her seat and bolted up the stairs.
"Sofia, come back here," Mark whispered angrily as he ran after her.
Mark followed her footsteps to the open door to his and Callie's bedroom where Sofia was standing next to Callie crying.
"Sofia, Daddy knows how to make pancakes too."
"No he doesn't! His don't look like Mickey Mouse."
"Sofia, those are Mommy's special pancakes. If Daddy also made them like that then they wouldn't be so special."
Callie stroked Sofia's wild black hair. Their four year old was becoming more and more ornery as the arrival of her little sister got closer.
"What if Daddy brings the pancakes upstairs and the three of us eat breakfast in bed together?"
"Will Zoe eat your pancakes, Mommy?"
"I'm going to share my pancakes with Zoe, Sof. She's hungry too," Callie said, placing a hand on her swollen belly.
Mark walked back down stairs trying to remember when Sofia began favoring Callie. He flipped some more pancakes and placed the stack on a tray with syrup and strawberries.
"Here I come, Sofia."
He waited for the giggle that always brightened his entrance, but it never came. Instead he found Sofia curled up around Callie, quietly sucking her thumb, a habit that had suddenly reappeared. He put on a smile. "Girls, breakfast's here."