Defenseless

That's what teeny weeny babies are. I forget how delicate and tiny they are until I see a 2-week old infant. And I still can't wrap my brain around the fact that my nephew, he who used to be the perpetual bachelor, is now a father...and within 11 months of his wedding!

He's very calm and confident, which has left me bemused, happy, and relieved (since his wife is a total type A: antibacterial soap AND Purell before we can pick up the baby?! how did I ever survive infancy??)

Lillian Kathleen joined the family on August 6th, and like her cousin Nicholas, is a very mellow baby (maybe she'll calm down her mom).

I have a vision of family holiday dinners in a few years: Thomas, Nicholas, and Lillian will be chasing each other around the dining table. Heh.

And defenseless is how I feel around my engineer, but since it's mutual, that's okay, I guess. It always amazes me when I think that it works both ways: whatever kaleidoscope of emotions I feel being with him, I generate an equal amount of tumult on his side. To paraphrase what my friend Margaret said, he's not with me just as a favor; he must be getting something positive out of it too.

Oh.

Since I'm really sleepy, I'll ponder this issue a bit more eloquently at some other time, but for now, I'll just say that things are going swimmingly. Yay!

P.S.
My Japanese co-worker told me Friday, as we devoured the sushi/sashimi special found only on the Japanese-language side of the menu (all those suspicions you've always had about two different menus in Asian restaurants? all true), that my "aura has changed"...in a much more positive way lately. Apparently, I laugh more wholeheartedly, and I smile more, and am generally a happier person. Heh.