Kevin called me into the baby room the other day full of excitement.

“Chrissie! Come quick, you won’t believe what Leina just did!”

Curious, I ran into the baby room expecting to find Leina crawling, laughing or even jumping up and down only to find Kevin seated in the nursing chair with Leina on his lap. They were face to face and she was watching him with her bright blue eyes.

“You won’t believe this game we’re playing,” Kevin enthused. “Watch what she does when I close my eyes.” Kevin leaned forward toward his daughter and slowly closed her eyes.

Leina sat there.

“Wait, wait, she doesn’t always do it….” Kevin hastened to add as he once again leaned forward and slowly closed his eyes.

Leina sat there.

“Oh come on, she just did it!” By now I was getting amused. Again Kevin leaned in and closed his eyes.

“There!” he exclaimed. “Did you see that?”

“Um, no, I think I missed it,” I said, slightly baffled.

“She closed her eyes back at me!” my husband beamed up at me. “See, if I closed my eyes, she’ll close her’s too! How neat is that?!?!’

“Um, Kevin, I hate to break it to you but I think she just blinked.”

Kevin sat there a moment, crestfallen, until his eternal optimism kicked in.

“Well, I think she’s playing. Blinking,” he mumbled as I left the room, “don’t you listen to momma baby Leina, you just keep on playing with your dad.”

As I looked back, Kevin gently leaned forward and slowly closed his eyes.

Leina sat there unblinking but I swear she smiled at him.