Second Nature

Me and Noel at Pizza Hut

My mother, step-father, and niece recently stayed with us for two weeks. They were vacationing from Florida, and I think the heat was worse here in NJ than it was in Florida. Anyway, I made a funny discovery while my mom was here.

I took Noel up to the room my mom was staying in. We were chatting and all of a sudden my mom says, "Where is the cap to my water bottle?" I had immediately removed it and placed it out of Noel's reach without even thinking about it. This type of thing has become second nature. I do it as naturally as putting the milk back in the fridge when I am done with it.

It is very rare to go anywhere and have it be Noel-proof. That makes visiting friends and family members a bit of a challenge. Often times I can't let go of Noel in a place, not because I am mean, but because the place just isn't safe for a child who does not understand danger. Noel puts everything in her mouth, including bottle caps. Her risk of choking on something is extremely high if her surroundings aren't made safe. That means I will pick things up and move them out of her reach, sometimes without even realizing I did it.