We went to Mercer’s Cafe the other day. We love Mercer’s! I will always remember it, especially, since it’s the place we went to celebrate on Sunday, November 18, 2007, the day we found out I was pregnant with Micah. It’s a great little local breakfast cafe, one we both enjoy! Daniel loves the coffee. I love the atmosphere.
This particular day was not special. Just wanted a good breakfast without having to cook, since our house is still in boxes and we have two small children.
We walked in–Mara, first, as a guy held the door for her. She was really booking it! She knew where she was going, and the guy holding the door gave her this look of surprise as she ran past him. We barely sat down, when a waitress walked by. Mara whirled around in her seat and shouted, “WAH-wah!” [water]
We looked at our 20-month-old daughter in amazement, and I said, “Mara, say ‘please’!”
I guess she always hears us order water from the waitress after we sit down, and she didn’t see any need to wait around!
Of course, she wanted to pray after we ordered our food and it didn’t come right away! She holds out both hands (we hold hands when we pray), then bows her head and says “Oy, oy, oy, oy” in a hushed tone.
Then she’s making friends with the cops that are sitting next to us, and the two older ladies behind us.? There’s not a shy bone in her body!
. . .
Tonight was so incredibly special. I don’t even think I can express it adequately. It was the first time Mara seemed to do something for something else, at her own expense.
The glider rocker is in Micah’s room, so before Mara goes to bed, I take her in Micah’s room to rock her and sing to her. Unfortunately, Micah cries (SCREAMS!) for several hours–usually right at Mara’s bedtime. So while I’m singing soft bedtime songs, Micah is screaming at the top of his lungs in the cradle next to us. Mara was tired. She was leaning on my chest, sucking her thumb. But after one or two songs, she sat straight up and said intently, “Min-uh! Min-uh!” [Micah! Micah!]
Then “THL-loor! THL-loor!” [Floor is one of her new favorite words, and this time she was asking to get down on the floor.]
So I let her get down and she stood by the cradle, saying, “Min-uh! Min-uh! Min-uh, nur!” [nurse] She was very intense, nodding her head and squinting her eyes, as if desperately hoping I would understand. She wanted to get down on the “thloor” so Micah could nurse. She knows that makes him quiet . . . My heart really melted, and I just looked at her for a couple of seconds. I couldn’t believe she was sacrificing her own time with me, for Micah! Then she started making the “fish” face, demonstrating “nursing,” in case I didn’t understand!
I picked up Micah, sat back down, and let him nurse, and that calmed him down right away.
“Min-uh! Min-uh! Nur!” She beamed a huge smile . . . I want to always remember.