Fourteen Months

Another 25th...of course Granty continues to be on my mind constantly, even fourteen months after his passing.  Since I've been spending more time at home than ever before, I find myself smiling whenever I see his signature grin in his many pictures throughout the house or see the plethora of stuffed giraffes we have prominently displayed.

I was worried that Ani may cause Alexa to forget about Granty, but thankfully it seems to be the opposite.  Alexa has been talking about Granty more than usual, as I'm sure the presence of a baby has reminded her of her beloved baby brother.

On Monday she was selecting her outfit for the day (it was a school holiday - normally I lay out her clothes), and she picked out pink giraffe leggings, a sequin giraffe t-shirt and pink giraffe tennis shoes.  I had raided the Gymboree Pink Giraffe clothing collection last tear, but didn't necessarily envision all of the pieces being worn as one ensemble; it was a little too matchy-matchy for my taste.  Nevertheless, Alexa was determined to wear her selections, explaining to me, "This outfit will make me think about Granty."  Well, I couldn't argue with that logic, so I happily let Alexa look like a cute pink giraffe.

Last night Ani and I were putting Alexa to bed, and she decided it was a good opportunity to tell Ani about Granty.  Maybe it was the most perfectly crafted stall tactic, but I was thrilled to hear Alexa mention Grant, and I was curious to hear her describe him for Ani.  Her description was concise and pragmatic but very sweet.  "Ani - You have a big brother named Granty, and he was the sweetest baby in the entire world.  I'm sorry to tell you that he died, but even though he's dead, he can still be inside your heart."  I am sure this will be the first of many times that Alexa describes Grant to Ani; Grant's sisters will assuredly continue his legacy for years to come.

Independent of Alexa relaying Granty's story, I fully expect Ani to one day question, "What's up with all of the giraffes?"  ;)

Getting acquainted with her stuffed giraffe.

One of Alexa's favorite at-home activities - playing with the stuffed giraffes.
(Today the giraffes were all cousins.)