Lolly

 Lola. My ray of light

I was stopped in the parking lot of Trader Joe's by a couple of self-proclaimed gypsies. The woman, bedecked in cyote-fur and turquoise, claimed to be clairvoyant. She gravitated to Lola and crossed the parking lot in order to look into Lola's old-souls eyes. She said. "This one is serious. She will do great things." She touched Lola's cheek. "This one sees right through people." Of course, the woman was right. But, you don't need special powers to see it. (Not that I am doubting the old witchy-woman. You wouldn't have either if you had met her.)

Lola is adored. She also has razor-sharp talons for finger nails. All who love her are marked with little scratches all-over their cheeks, noses, and necks. She grabs hold of you and pulls you to her. She calls to us in loud happy screams as though she is just trying to say: "We are here! We are all here together!" It's not a demanding look-at-me scream, but a burst of joy straight out of her little body. It is only when she is sad that she says consonant sounds and then it is: "Mamamamama!" But mostly, she giggles. Her eyes squint up into slits and her belly shakes. She is a buddha.

Lola is pulling herself up to stand. She can dismount from her sitting position and is really crawling. She wants to practice these skills all the time. She seems so very pleased with her new found mobility. She uses it to crawl after the people she loves most. She is a little wary of strangers. Only rewards the patient and the calm with smiles. She doesn't like to go to sleep before I do. In bed she likes to hold my hand or pet my cheek. I don't even mind that she won't sleep alone at night... (I can usually get her to sleep in her crib for an hour or two before she notices I'm not there.) I am simply flattered that she likes me so much. She is so easy and contended that her few requests are easy to comply with. She naps in a crib with no complaint during the day. It's just at night she wants to snuggle. If I am the first out of bed she finds her way over to Smoochy to snuggle with him.

These baby days of hers are passing me by. I just want to bury my nose in the nape of her neck all day long. Knowing this child is a gift.