It has been a little over 4-months now since my niece little miss Emersyn AKA Squirrel, AKA Shady Baby was born and there has never been a dull moment with her. I absolutely love her smiles, her coos and every little thing about her. She is the baby that you always check on because she is always quiet but constantly observing things going on around her… just looking around and never making a sound. You’d never know she was there if it weren’t for her calling for the bottle or the diaper change. I am pretty sure that she’s saying “milk” when the “millllll” sound departs her heart shaped lips. The jury is still out on the one.

Little Miss Shady won the heavyweight title on day one. She was never a crier. She would give you a parent death stare though, one as if to say, “You know I am hungry, why you are playing with me about my bottle.” It didn’t stop there. Her side eyes and resting beauty face is unmatched. After she gets your attention with those faces and expressions, a simple nod from her or smirk literally says “Yeah, I see you looking- now change my diaper” The faces and expressions are always on point also. Socializing with other kids, children and adults, she has a tendency to stare them down like an assessment of some kind and if she is not feeling you, she makes it know through her face. We could all take notes here. Silence is king, or queen in this case. The next “Look Who’s Talking” superstar. I could write a book about what she might be saying along with what not to do if you don’t want a baby pulling your braids out. (Another story)

Growing fast and even holding her bottle at times, I get to see in photos and videos that my sister shares with me daily. Shady Baby is a fashionista in the making, always rocking the best threads that her mom laces her with. Who knew that onesies could make the runway? Someone needs to give this child a show.

I relished the two months I spent with Shady Baby after she was born. The time I was able to spend with her began to dwindle when she started daycare and was up and out before I was awake. By the time my sister brought her back home, she was exhausted from daycare activities and was asleep only to wake through the night to be fed and changed. I would watch her take naps and struggle to stay awake before sleep finally found her. I knew there would soon come a time when I would be relocating, and I would not be able to see her as often as I was able to when she was first born.

I thought to myself, what can I do to make sure my squirrel knows that I am saying good morning or goodnight, hello and I love you on those days I would be away at work and with my own child in a different state altogether? So, since I became familiar with her mother’s morning and nightly routine and times, they would be occupying the bathroom bathing or dressing her, I decided to write her a note on the bathroom mirror. It has been there since I left in October. My sister and her husband captured a photo to share with me of Squirrel taking a glance at what I wrote. And even in the photo, I can see that Shady Baby is probably saying, “My Auntie knows better than write on this bathroom mirror.”