The Academy In My Head

First Words

"Oh, who's such a big girl." Erica coo'd at her baby girl. Jessica giggled and clapped her hands together before she grabbed for her toes as Erica finished up changing her diaper. "One second little one." She said, brushing tiny hands back so that she could tighten the adhesive strap on the diaper. "Dakota..." she called out for her 4 year old son. "Can you please come here?"

"Yes mama." He dashed into the room and grinned up at her before pushing his glasses up on his nose. "What do you need?"

"Could you get a sleeper for Jessica, please?" Erica tickled the baby's tummy and she giggled.

"Yes mama." Kota nodded, dashing over to the dresser and pulling out the bottom drawer. This was one of their nightly rituals so Erica had just put all the sleepers down in the bottom drawer so that he could easily get a sleeper for his sister. "Do you think she would like to have a princess one or the giraffe one?" he asked her.

"Oh, I think our baby girl would love to wear her giraffe sleeper." Erica smiled. "Wouldn't you baby?"

Jessica giggled and raised her rear up more to be able to reach her toes and grabbed them.

Kota pulled out the sleeper and brought it over to her. "Here mama." He held it up for her and she bent to kiss his forehead.

"Thank you." She murmured, smoothing a hand over his hair. "You're such a good boy and mama loves you very much." She said softly, her eyes meeting his for a moment.

"I love you too, mama." Kota said. "Can I give Jessica her bottle tonight?"

"Sure. Let me just get her into her sleeper and you can rock her a bit while I fix the bottle."

"Okay mama." He said, dashing over to the little bookcase next to the rocking chair. "I'm going to read to her while we rock." He declared before picking out his favorite counting book and getting up into the chair to wait.

Jessica coo'd again and Erica turned her attention back to her and kissed her stomach before wrestling little squirmy arms and legs into the sleeper and zipped it up. "There you go, my little love bug." She said, picking her up and hugging her close, kissing her forehead as Jessica sighed and snuggled into her. "Now you sit here and read with your big brother and I'll get that bottle you're desperately waiting for."

Kota smiled up at her. "I'll take good care of her mama." He said when Erica bent down and settled the baby in his lap.

"I know you will, Dakota." Erica said. "You're a good big brother. I know you always will take good care of Jessica." She rested a hand on the top of his head for a moment. "I'll be right back." She said, heading to the kitchen, hearing Kota start the book by telling Jessica the title of it. It didn't take long to prep the bottle and get it heated to a proper temperature for Jessica. She tested it on her wrist before heading back to the bedroom.

"One butterfly." Kota said and she could imagine him pointing at it. "One."

"one" her eyes widened as she heard a soft voice echo his words. She ducked into the room and stared at them.

"Good, Jessica." Kota praised his sister. "Two ducks. Two."

"Two!"

"very good." Kota nodded. "This one's harder. Three dogs. Three."

"Tee!" Jessica giggled.

"Three."

"Tee."

Erica chuckled and walked in. "I think Tee would work for now, Dakota." She said. "Jessica can't say th sounds yet." She said. "and I'm so impressed. You taught your sister to count."

Kota grinned at her and pushed his glasses up. "I like to count. So should she."

Erica smiled. "But for now, we'll feed her and celebrate that she has said her first three words."

"okay mama." He put the book down and reached for the bottle. "Say it again, Jessica." He held the bottle up. "One, Two, Three..."

Jessica blinked up at him and reached a hand up towards the bottle. "One... Two... tee." She giggled.

Erica clapped her hands. "Wonderful, both of you." She said, bending down to kiss both of her counting geniuses as Kota gave his sister her bottle. "I have to go write it down in her baby book. I'll be back to burp her."

"Okay mama."

Erica smiled as she walked away, hearing him start to count for his sister to show off how high he could count.

(fade...)