Little Mama

Tonight after her bath, I wrapped Charlotte up in her towel, cradled her like a newborn and said, "You're my baby burrito!" and kissed her on the forehead. 

Later, in her room as we were working on getting pajamas picked out and a diaper on, she climbed on my lap and said, "Mo' baby bo?"

I found a baby blanket and told her that when she was tiny we swaddled her to help her sleep.  She lay on the blanket and I pulled one corner across her right arm and torso, the bottom corner up over her legs, and the final corner over her left arm.  Once again I cradled her like a newborn, kissed her on the forehead called her my baby burrito.  "Again?" she said. 

So, we played that game at least 10 times, using different sized blankets.  I figured even if it was delaying bedtime a bit, at least it was a snuggly, sleep-inducing sort of game.

Then I asked her if she would like to wrap up her baby dolls in a baby burrito too. 

So, her pink baby, her Jesus Loves Me bunny, her baby Minnie Mouse and her owl pillow all took turns getting swaddled.  For the first few, I swaddled them and then presented the little bundles to her to hold.  She cradled them to her chest and rocked them back and forth. 

Then she insisted on trying to swaddle them herself.  She did a pretty good job! 

Finally, she took the comforter, sheet and pillows off her bed and made a nest on the floor.   She took her swaddled pink baby and walked around with it, patting it and rocking it slightly.  Then she gently set it down on the owl pillow.  "Nigh-nigh! Seep wall!" she said.  Then she leaned over, smoothed the blanket and said, "I kiss you."

... and my heart melted in my chest.  What a precious, sweet girl I have.