These are a few of my favorite things....

I have some new favorites in my life...the little things that make my world brighter...

The first is Aliza as an alarm clock. I love how, on weekends, I get to wake up to the best music there is. The sound of Aliza's little girl voice, making cooing noises as she hangs out in her crib and wakes up. Of course, my other favorite thing is how, when I go in her room in the morning, she kicks her feet and waves her arms and gives me the biggest, happiest smile in the world.

Another new favorite is family dinners. See, I grew up eating dinner with my family every night. I can remember, very clearly, the phone ringing and my dad muttering under his breath about how it is the dinner hour and who could possibly be so rude as to be calling now. That time was sacred family time. I cherish those memories now....Now that Aliza is eating solids, we eat dinner together. I thought this would happen at the dining room table, but instead we gather in our cozy kitchen and sit at the table and eat. Sometimes Aliza is eating with us. Sometimes she is just hanging out. And the other day? The phone rang, and Russ and I both began muttering about the dinner hour and how could someone possibly interrupt us during that time....And I laughed to myself.

Yet another new favorite is "cooking" for Aliza. So far I've made my own baby food--carrots and sweet potatoes. I don't know if this trend will continue, but I have to say, I take a certain amount of pride in the fact that she is getting homemade food.

My last new favorite (for now at least) is my new bedtime routine....I now sneak into Aliza's room right before I go to sleep to check on her. Her room is always dark and cozy warm and smells of baby, of MY baby. And she is always on one side, with one arm flung out and the other folded across her body, breathing softly.....the picture of contentment. When I start my morning with a smile and end my day with this, well, it life can't get any more perfect.