Monday, October 24, 2011

"Baby" Raphaela

At the magical age of two, Raphaela has truly turned the corner into "real people-hood," and it is not just me who feels that way;  I can see that she understands this as well.

When we play pretend games together, or if Raphaela wants that little bit of extra attention after a bath, she will put on a pout and pretend to cry, assuming the part of the baby she once was.  I will humor her, and say, "Oh Baby Raphaela, would you like your Mommy to kiss you?"  And she immediately smiles and brings me one of her blankets, gets her extra snuggles, and then becomes the opinionated and chatty toddler again.

That leap of comprehension, and her assertion of her self and personality, that's an amazing evolution to watch in any child, not just my own.  

Over the Succot vacation, at a playdate with a Gan friend who is one year older than Raphaela, her friend chose to play the part of the baby while Raphaela was designated the mother in the game of pretend.  Raphaela immediately started tucking in her "baby", and cooking a pretend meal, lavinshing her "baby" with kisses.

It is Raphaela's sense of compassion and generosity that overwhelms me, and I love her more and more every day, for who she is becoming on the inside.

1 comment:

Rachel Selby said...

DD also does that 'Baby DD' thing - usually when she is swaddled in her towel after a bath and likes me to carry her like a baby to the bedroom. She also asks me to feed her like a baby sometimes and thinks it's great fun pretending to be a baby. Amazing how they 'get it' that different ages behave differently.