Comparing babies

You know how when you have kids and they visit a friend's house and play with that friend's toys that your child doesn't have and then your kids come home and tell you that their friend has cooler toys or that you have to buy them the same thing? Well, Lexi isn't old enough to be playing at friends' houses or to have friends of her own in the first place, but something like this happened last night (maybe it happened more to me). We arrived in Chicago yesterday evening and were picked up by our hosts, Randy and Becky, whom we went to church with when we lived here, and I also worked with Becky at the ELCA. They are expecting their first child, also a girl, in just a few weeks, and so have bought and unpacked all the usual baby equipment and toys. We are getting to test some of these baby items out for them and use them for the first time. One piece of equipment is a swing that plays music and lights. Miriam (Sarah's sister) and Andy had the same model (but with a fish theme that played different music) that Lexi used a bit while we visited them in Salt Lake City. Randy and Becky's new swing has a nighttime theme, so in addition to playing various songs, it plays cricket noises and projects star patterns onto a mosquito-netting-type cloth that partially surrounds the seat. For some reason, Lexi has been much more captivated by the swing in Chicago than the one in Salt Lake City. I've never seen her more delighted. She loves sitting in this swing and watching the stars and bear in the mobile above her head go around as well as the stars swirl around her. The look on her face is wonderful - she gets her mouth and tongue moving too. We need to get her something similar in Kenya, and I hope they have a swing like this for sale there. She is definitely at that age where she needs colorful and moving things to look at. We didn't buy much baby equipment and toys for her in Geneva because we knew we would be moving shortly after she was born. But now that we know we will stay put for a while in Nairobi, we'll make some serious purchases of baby furniture and equipment.

Everywhere we are going on this trip, there are other new babies or the anticipation of them. In Seattle, my cousin and his wife recently announced that they are pregnant and expecting a girl, and so there was all sorts of speculation about the name while we were there. In Salt Lake City, we got to meet our niece/Lexi's first cousin for the first time. Olivia was born in February this year so is obviously bigger than Lexi. It was wonderful to meet her and see what Lexi will be like as she continues to grow. It was also interesting to compare the two girls, who have very different temperaments. Lexi is much less fussy than Olivia, even at their different ages. I'm grateful we have such an easy-going baby. I'm really loving this stage that Lexi is in and wonder how it can get any better. She is responsive to people and smiles at anyone when they talk to her. She's also gaining more control over her body - holding her head up and using her hands more. As we saw Olivia and got to know her, I know Lexi will be bigger and more responsive like her in just six months, but I actually said to Sarah that I like Lexi just like this and don't really want her to grow bigger like Olivia. But, of course, there's no way I can prevent that, and I've been assured by Miriam and other mothers that it will get even better. It's just that we have it so good with a good baby that I don't know how it can get better, and I'm slightly worried that it could even go downhill.

When we go next to Minneapolis to visit Sarah's brother and his wife, we will meet our other niece and Lexi's other cousin, Sophia, born just several weeks after Lexi. I'm sure it will be interesting to compare Lexi with Sophia in a stage that we have been in recently ourselves.

But now, for the next few days in Chicago, as we stay with expectant parents Randy and Becky, we are giving them a lot of advice and telling them what it's like to have a newborn. And they're trying out having a baby by having Lexi here - holding her and talking to her. They haven't gone as far as trying to change her diaper yet, however.

As we took off from Salt Lake City yesterday afternoon, after spending a few days with her younger sister and her family, Sarah commented to me that we (us and Miriam and Andy) are all grown up now. We all have started families of our own now and are doing responsible, adult things. I had been struck by this too during our visit with Miriam and Andy - more about them than us. If even younger siblings are doing the same things we're doing - being responsible enough to have and raise children, buying houses, being concerned about investments, fixing cars, running errands on Saturday to keep a household running, and cleaning up the kitchen after everyone has eaten - then that means we've truly become adults ourselves, and it's clear from the family and friends we're visiting on this trip that our peers are doing all of this too. Growing older is unavoidable, I know, but sometimes becoming an adult and taking on all the responsibilities that comes with it takes you by surprise. But when you look around, you realize that everybody else is doing it all too, or that previous generations have all done it before, so it doesn't seem as scary.