Silly Songs
"You're asking to babysit?" Eric inquired, puzzled.
"Me and Nat," Ryan said.
Eric's parents had to cancel on babysitting for the following night, Saturday, their date night. It was late Friday evening. Eric were sure his wife would agree that their friends could babysit.
He was right.
Like most people, hearing or having to sing to the same song over and over could get on anyone's nerves. Except for singing a baby's favorite nursery rhyme to her. Ryan still didn't understand why babies and little kids like the same story or song over and over. But if it made his niece happy then he didn't care.
Like her parents Nevaeh's babysitters wouldn't mind singing and playing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" with her a million times in one night. Maybe it was her hormones, but Natalia melted when she heard Nevaeh's new word with her own ears, "Arana," spider in Spanish. She would often say the word and do the spider motion with her fingers when she wanted someone to sing the song for her. A warm feeling came over Natalia when not even five minutes gone by since they got there, her parents hadn't even left and Nevaeh pulled on Ryan's pant leg, her Itsy Bitsy Spider book in one hand and said "arana! Arana!"
Ryan then smiled and placed the girl in his lap and began to sing to her.
"You're gonna have that song going through your head by the time you leave," Calleigh laughed to Natalia.
She and Eric often did but that was parenthood.
"You think we'll be as confident doing this full-time?" Ryan asked his fiancee, rubbing her belly in circles as they watched Nevaeh fall into a deep sleep.
"I think in time," Natalia smiled, enjoying the feeling of Ryan's touch. "But can you imagine if we love her, how much we're gonna like to love this one?"
Ryan smiled. "I know."
The Delkos were home shortly after one. They had warned their friends that was Nevaeh cutting her molars. That wasn't fun for either parents or baby. Baby Motrin seemed to work enough to help the little girl sleep, even if the remaining discomfort made her whimper in her sleep. The teething pacifier that was good for her molar development seemed to bring her relief, compiled with the normal distractions of the day mommy didn't have to give her as much medication or Orajel. Even sleeping with the pacifier, something she hadn't done for months, Nevaeh often required Motrin at night. She had this night when her parents saw her she was cradled in Natalia's lap on the couch in a restless sleep. The child's arms were twitching a little and she was whimpering occasionally. Natalia had given the baby a dose of medication an hour before when she had awake. Calleigh had left instructions that was all right.
"She'll be okay, right?" Natalia asked, looking very worried.
"She will," Calleigh smiled. "It's rough but she gets through it."
