Nighttime Moments

Tonight after a fussy baby was tucked into bed, I heaved three overflowing loads of laundry up the stairs and got to work.  The house was quiet and the dishwasher was going.  I settled in and tackled the mountain of clothes looming before me.  I was getting into quite the rhythm when I heard pleads for "mamma" coming from down the hall. After holding my breathe for a minute or two hoping the cries would stop, they didn't, so I headed down the hall to give my little girl one more kiss goodnight.

After requests of "hold you" and "sing Eden song" and "rock bye baby"  I gave in to her sweet tired voice and lifted her out of the crib.  As I cradled her and sang her my montage of Primary songs she lifted her little hands and touched each of my eyes, then my ear, then my nose and finally stuck her fingers in my mouth, all while quietly listening to me sing her our night time songs. 

During the second verse of "Love is Spoken Here" my sleepy baby sat up and gave me a hug, squeezing my neck tightly.  I sat there and squeezed her back just as tightly soaking in the moment and willing myself to remember it always...then she took her little hands and put them square on my cheeks and pulled my face into hers.  We sat there with noses and foreheads touching looking quietly into each other eyes.  I was sending "I love you vibes" with all that I could muster.  We sat in silence for a minute or two...and then I busted out laughing.  For a split second, it scared the CRAP out of her, but in the same instant she returned my laughter full force and straight from the belly. Then she hugged me and did it again.  Noses touching...staring into eyes...then laughter.

Les came to see what all the fuss was about and asked us "just what exactly are we doing in here?"  I tried to tell him what had happening but I couldn't get a word out because my face was being smashed into our little girl's...and laughter always in sued.  After one big last hug, I placed her back in the crib with a kiss and "I love you."  After a quick pick up of toys that where sure to result in a stubbed toe in the middle of the night without the help of contacts, I looked over and found my baby out like a light...

When the day comes that she's 13 and wants nothing to do with me...I'm going to relish this moment and remember that once this little girl was my whole world and I...hers...Happy Night!