Read to me, kid.

There are many things that new parents need. Among the most important, I would list a bouncy seat, a stroller, and at least two dozen burp rags. However, after nine plus months of being a parent, I would give up all these things for just one appliance: a dishwasher.

You see, after much trial and error in Reilly’s infancy, she finally settled on the most complex bottle that money can buy. Each of her Dr. Brown’s bottles has seven components to it. Multiply that by the three bottles she has per day, and I’m looking at twenty-one small plastic pieces to wash. Throw in the dishes generated by one of my extravagant dinners, and I’ll find myself at the sink for fifteen to twenty minutes a night.

Look, I know I’m not the only one out there who has to do dishes, but I’ve got to be the last person in America without a dishwasher.

Last night, I was about halfway through dish duty when Shawn, who was giving Reilly a bath, called me from the bathroom. I groaned and begrudgingly walked to the bathroom to see what trivial thing Shawn would point out to me. I even carried the sponge and fork I was washing to illustrate exactly how much I was being put out by this request. (Am I a brat or what?)

When I poked my head through the door, Shawn said, “Just listen. Reilly is sharing the book with me!”

Reilly had her waterproof book, “Who Lives in the Pond?” in the tub with her, and was pointing to a beaver on the open page while looking up at Shawn.

“Ba-ba-da-ba!” she said.
“Yes,” replied Shawn, “that’s a beaver.”

Reilly then pointed to the frog on the other side of the page and looked back up at Shawn.

“Da-pa!”
“Yes,” replied Shawn, “that’s a frog.”

And then she pointed to the turtle. And then the duck. And then the tadpole. Each time, she repeated the chatter.

Then Reilly threw down the book and splashed the water and squealed, and the moment was gone. Shawn and I just looked at each other, stretching our smiles to the edges of our faces. Then Shawn stuck out her bottom lip and said exactly what I was thinking:

“She’s growing up.”