"How's the new job going?"

I've been asked that many times over the past five weeks and I think I'm somewhat surprised by the question every time. Maybe this is because it doesn't feel like a job most of the time. It does feel like work often, and there are significant and clear expectations but it just isn't like a "job" to me. It is more like my life became more entwined with another family's life. I spend my days with an infant. I dunno.

I can't wait for her full laugh to come in. So far I get a forceful exhale with a delighted grin where a laugh would normally go. It's lovely but it's going to get even lovelier.

I like that she knows who I am and I like learning what she is like. I think it's great when she is silly and when she makes herself laugh.

As with any child, it's fascinating and refreshing to watch her discover the world item by item, experience by experience.

I like when she's in a snuggly mood and I like that she clings to me if we're in public and she's very unsure of something. It's a thing about family or other close relationships when personal space boundaries are very limited or non-existent. The babygirl (or, "Mrs. Magoo" or "Mrs Magoodle" or "Sweetie-pie" or "Gladys" or "Barbara", as I like to call her) does not perceive or honour any physical limits on me and I'm glad. Just this afternoon I had her sitting on the windowsill because she loves looking out the window and I had grown tired of taking countless non-toys away from her. At first she was happy (read: VERY happy) to sit in her little chair which I had put on the sill, while I held it in place. Then she repeatedly awkwardly climbed out of the chair so I took it away. After I put her back on the sill, I realised that more than abandoning the chair, she also wanted to be close to me. She had all the space to play and she had access to the window that she wants to touch and point to aaaaaaaall the time but she kept cuddling up to me as close as possible. Sometimes her arms went around my neck (I was on the floor, so we were actually at eye-level), I think as a means of pulling herself closer; several times she wouldn't be touching me but would turn back and look at me and smile after watching a squirrel or pedestrian or car.. "are you seeing this??" in her eyes; other times, she just leaned back into me, her shoulders at my collar bone and head next to mine. In the latter position she also randomly turned to give me a kiss. (Or, a "kiss" as a one-year-old can give.) So .... speaking of having no discernable physical limits, her "kiss" meant that half of my nose was inside her mouth.

I'm happy that she's still enough of a baby that I can sometimes (though not very often) cradle her. Three or four times now, she's been in just the right mood for me to cradle her and then sing a whole litany of kids songs while bouncing her on my knee. She wasn't indifferent to any elements; she was content in my arms, on my knee, hearing my voice. It's sweet.

So, how's the new job going? How could I possibly put it into words?