Butter Fingers

I want to start by saying that I love both of my children more than anything in this world. Zoe has completed our family and brings us joy every single day. With that said, I sometimes forget how things were when it was just the three of us. Pretty much everything, one way or another, the last nine months has revolved around Zoe. I sometimes feel like Eli gets the short end of the stick for now. He is an amazing brother and loves Zoe so much.

Right before Zoe was born, we would play Hide-and-Go-Seek after it got dark, right before Eli went to bed. Eli has been talking about it and keeps saying, "Mommy, remember when we would play Hide-and-Go-Seek before we had Zoe?" I told him we couldn't do that now because it would wake Zoe up. So, the last three nights after putting Zoe down for the night, we have played Keep Away with a balloon in the living room. Johnny and I play on our knees so we are closer to Eli's height (not so much fun moving around on your knees). It is so incredible to watch Eli come up with strategies to keep the balloon away from the person in the middle. We all three laugh and have had so much fun playing. It's that contagious belly laughing that has us in tears. The first night, he kept letting the balloon slip out of his hands, so I told him he had butter fingers. After I explained what that means, he kept saying it, and using the term correctly. He's so smart. The time we have alone with him is so precious. At the same time, I can't wait for Zoe to be big enough to join in the fun too.