Eight months later...
Sleep. Sleep is precious with a young child in the house. Elena and I are only in bed for ten minutes before Elizabeth wakes us by fussing over some qualm she wants us fix. Tonight is no different.
"I've got it, sweetheart," I groan, starting to throw the sheets off.
"You've gotten the last three. Let me go. She's gonna forget what I look like," she jokes.
"No, you rest. Works been demanding for you lately. She probably just wants to be rocked. I'll be quick."
Elizabeth gets louder when I enter her room. She seems to love being the center of attention. "Sh, sh, it's okay. It's okay, Lizzy. Daddy's here." I pick her up under the arm pits like Elena taught me and lean her head against my shoulder. I run my fingers along her spine. "Everything's going to be alright. I promise." Elizabeth quiets at my voice, seemingly listening to what I say. "I'm guessing you're just having bad dreams. I get those all the time. Maybe it runs in the family."
She babbles something in my ear. Elena's mother keeps telling us that before we know it, she'll be walking and talking. Although I can't wait to be able to sleep again, I kind of wish Elizabeth would stay this small. My baby girl.
I talk softly to her for a few more minutes, occasionally getting a response from Lizzy, but eventually her breathing evens out and she stops responding to my words. I lay her back down and cover her gently. I slip back into bed, careful not to wake Elena. I stretch out like a cat laying down for a nap and close my eyes. A minute later, Elena and I groan as Elizabeth shrieks her displeasure from the next room.
Sixteen months later...
"Mommy! Mommy! Someone's at the door!"
"Okay, Lizzy. You can answer it," I call from the kitchen. I put the final touches of icing on the cake and walk into the foyer to watch.
Elizabeth throws open the door and squeals in delight. "Uncle Suwy!"
Sully laughs and scoops her up into his arms. She's still having trouble with the "L" sounds, so "Sully" sounds like "Suwy". He doesn't mind though. He absolutely adores her. "Hey, pumpkin. What's up?"
"Nothing." She hugs him around the neck.
"No love for Daddy, huh?" Nate pushes past the two with a duffel bag. He was picking up Sully from the airport.
"Uncle Suwy?"
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"Guess what!"
"What?"
"I'm two!" She proudly holds up two fingers, baring her sparsely distributed teeth in a heart-melting smile.
"Two? I must have the wrong Lizzy." She frowns in confusion at his words. "The Lizzy I know is only one."
"It's my birthday!" she protests, trying to prove her identity.
"It's your birthday? Oh, well that makes sense." Elizabeth gives him one more quick hug, then Sully places her feet back to the hardwood floors.
Nate helps me set the table as Elizabeth gives Sully a tour of her room like she does every time he comes. We arrange her gifts into a more photogenic pile for a better background. I leave my parents' gift off the table to save it for another year. She's a little young for an American Girl doll, but I can't exactly tell them that. Nate and I got her more books and art supplies. I was resistant to the art supplies at first because her favorite canvas is the wall, but Nate insisted. Sully got her an assortment of stuffed animals that would put any claw machine to shame. Between her father and uncle, the girl's going to be spoiled rotten.