The Setup:
Rachel has a mobile attached to her crib. Every time we lay her down to sleep we push the button that sends the little teddy bears on their never ending merry-go-round. We used to push the vibration button as well. That feature died somewhere along the way. Recently she discovered that if she pushes the buttons it makes the mobile do different things.
We have the most wonderful baby monitor in the world. I can sit and watch everything Rachel does from the comfort of the sofa, my desk, my bed or even the yard. Doug found it for a great deal, new, from a private seller.
The Story:
Today I watched Rachel as she went down for her first nap. She tossed a few times. Fidgeted. I thought she'd go right to sleep. Then she got up to play with the mobile.
I listened as she pushed the "nature sounds" button. First I heard frogs, then a babbling brook, then the ocean, then silence. It was a pregnant silence as her little fingers hovered over the buttons. Then she pushed the "lullaby" button. I cringed at the off-key rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." She pushed the button again and the song changed to "All the Pretty Little Ponies." Rachel sat down and listened like she does when I sing to her. But it only lasted for a few seconds before she was up again. She turned off the wretched songstress and began pushing buttons wildly.
All of a sudden the cacophony stopped and I heard the crisp calliope sound of a music box playing Mozart. A hearty laugh escaped me as Rachel began to dance. She rocked back and forth, swinging her hips, and bouncing up and down. Then as quickly as it had begun it was over. She stopped partying in her crib and turned off the music. She pushed another button and sent her little bears spinning, laid down, and went to sleep.
