Babysitting for the Soul

As a full-time dad, my brother-in-law needed a little break.  He too, can appreciate and understand the challenges of raising a little girl all on his own.  Mind you, his daughter is 4 months and I’m so positively amazed at all that he juggles while still being a totally awesome dad.  Not to mention, she’s absolutely precious.  Maya and I had the opportunity to babysit her while his brothers took him out to a concert.  We were back in AZ visiting for a week.  I must say, you can really learn a lot about an 8-year old when allowing her to assist in such an important endeavor.  She was incredibly helpful and eager to take on any task.  At first, Maya’s energy level was more than I could manage, as I worked to get my bearings around the house and ensure we provided our little niece with everything she needed.  After a while, Maya proved to be a natural and was helping with everything from bottle feedings to diaper changes to playtime with all her little toy animals.  There was a moment where I just sat and stared in awe.  It made me a little emotional, thinking what a great big sister Maya would have been.  But, as her little baby cousin sat in her swing, so sweet and bright-eyed, staring up at her big cousin, it just sealed the moment in such a profound way.  It taught me the importance of keeping Maya’s bond with her cousins as strong as possible, despite the several states that separate us.  So proud of you my beautiful girl!