Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

“He looks like Yoda,” Judah had said Sunday morning. “All babies do.”

Only Judah would come up with a comment like that. He knew that Collette would not take offense. She laughed. But in some respects, most babies did have a Yoda-ish appearance in their first wrinkly newborn days.

OLeif was still home that Tuesday; he would return to work on Wednesday. And Denae had to leave that morning to get Izzy to Spanish and to choir after she fixed breakfast for OLeif and Collette.

Come later in the afternoon, Carrie and Lucia both dropped by to see Octavian. Carrie-Bri brought with her a large plastic bag of broccoli.

“Lunch?” Collette asked.

Carrie nodded, almost sorrowfully, sticking the bag in the fridge. Carrie did not often cater to her own taste buds. Then OLeif pushed Octavian into her arms, whereupon Octavian promptly lost part of the last swig of his bottle.

“Awwww,” Carrie said, before the incident, “he’s kind of cute.”

“I so want to babysit him first!” Lucia proclaimed to them. “You have to let me know.”

Later still in the afternoon, a soft rain began to fall. The trees had really bloomed green since Octavian’s arrival.

Come evening, Mom arrived for another night’s stay. She was preceded by a slight thundershower and was followed by Joe who called to see if he could come over and see Octavian. He arrived just in time to pass around the casserole and salad from Julia Poach’s mother. She had thoughtfully arranged to bring them dinner, although OLeif and Collette felt rather funny being delivered meals after all of the help already received from both families. They weren’t exactly two invalids sitting around in pajamas and red eyes.

And while OLeif prepared garlic bread to go with the meal, Mom and Joe cooed over Octavian who was lying on the couch. Joe laughed at Octavian’s silly expressions and took pictures of him with his cellphone while Octavian stared out the front window in amazement at the activity of the squirrels and evening robins.

“Awwww,” Joe often said to Octavian, “he’s so cute.”

It seemed there was a common census among the family members that Octavian was “the cutest baby”, as was the case whenever there was a single baby in the family. Octavian would grow up being much-loved.

And the night rains came as Octavian stayed up past his bedtime with “Grandma” while she and OLeif discussed various things in the church.

Another relaxing day. Life had suddenly slowed down to a leisurely stroll-through-the-garden pace.