favorite recent memory
I was really worried my niece Jillian wouldn't remember me after we went to visit her in Oregon this summer. She's 22 months, and learning to talk a whole lot. While we were there, she called Peter "pooboo" and me "essi". So last night I was talking to my sister on the phone, and she asked my niece Eliana (age 5) "Do you want to talk to Aunt Jessica?" She refused (shyness). Then Jillian starts yelling really loudly "ESSI!" "ESSI!" ESSI!" over and over and reaching for the phone. And then jeanne said to her "Jilly, do you want to talk to aunt jessica?" And then she said "yeah" in her what we call 'phone sex operator' voice. And then she got on the phone and she was like "ESSI!!!!!!" all happy. And then we told her to say hi to uncle peter and she said "Pooboo?" and looked around for him my sister said. It was so damn cute, I never saw her do this for anyone while I was there. It made me cry a little bit. Jillian and I really bonded out there and it was really hard for me to leave her. It's feels special that it was mutual. I sobbed in the airport bathroom for an hour after I left her because I was afraid she'd totally forget me, and I just felt so bonded. It's so hard to live far away from people you are crazy in love with, as I am with my nieces. So this may not sound like much, but it really made me happy. Ellie and I are all good, don't get me wrong, but I've spent much more time with Ellie and she talks to me a lot. But I think its cool to have a kid under 2 want to talk to me so much!