Memory Lane

On Saturday morning, Dave hooked up our ancient VCR to an old television because Jack found a Steven Courtney videotape he wanted to watch.  It was funny to see Jack acquaint himself with the workings of the VCR.  He had no idea how to insert a videotape, and then he kept pushing open the little door so he could see the videotape inside.  We also had to explain that you couldn’t skip around when watching a videotape, though you could Fastforward and Rewind, and he enjoyed turning that little wheel.

And then Dave found some homemade videotapes labeled  “Maddie’s First Year” and “2001-2002”.  We hadn’t watched any of Maddie’s videotapes ever since we  switched over to digital and ditched the VCR in favor of the DVD player, around the time she was 3. 

I can’t tell you how excited I was!

We all sat on the floor around the old dinosaur of a tv and watched her lay there and gurgle, then crawl (and I had forgotten that she used to crawl with her right leg sticking out, using it like an oar), we watched her take her first steps, we watched her ask for “mo, mo” (more, more),  we saw her open her first Christmas presents, and water the garden, and splash in the baby pool in just a swim diaper so you could really see all those little chunky rolls she had, and then we saw her meet her new baby brother Ben for the first time.  We watched Ben rolling over at around seven weeks old while a jealous, 20 month old Maddie jumped almost on top of him to show us that she could roll too.  Then she stomped away, still in view of the camera, picked up a board book, turned her back on us, and ignored our pleas to come show us how she could also roll over.  Oh my.  Those first months with the two of them were hard.  I remembered that too. 

After awhile I got smart and started taking a few short videos with my phone, which I’ve downloaded onto the computer, since I have a feeling those videotapes won’t last forever and may never be watched again anyway.

I also snapped a photo of the scene that made us all laugh until we all (or at least I) literally cried:

Halfway through her meal of peaches, she got the urge to poop, and so she did.  Though, as you can see, it took some effort. 

We aren’t through watching the second tape yet, and I really just can’t wait.  But those darn tapes have me feeling so old (because I really was younger and cuter and thinner 12 years ago) and yearning for the baby days, which is ridiculous, because I really like where we are right now.  I love their ages, I love that I can talk and joke with them, I love that I have Beth Time back, I love that I sleep all night…

But I really also want  a baby to hold and cuddle and kiss again.

Maybe I can get my bratty brother Dave and the lovely Jamae to work on that problem for me.