Los amigos del zoológico

Day 18 of 31 at TWT! 

-- Uuuh, uuuh, uhhh! -- M&M empieza a gruñir, agitándose los brazos y dando patadas al aire.

-- ¿Oh, recuerdas el zoológico?
Es obvio que ella lo reconoce ahora como un lugar conocido de mucha diversión. No puedo evitar de saltar un poquito mientras empujo su cochecito hacia el lago central del zoológico.
-- ¡Mira, vamos a divertirnos en el zoológico!

Mi esposo se rie entre dientes, pero él ya está muy acostumbrado a mis tendencias de comportarme como una muchacha jovencita cuando estoy animada. ¡Y siempre estoy muy animada cuando voy al zoológico!

-- Meemaw y Granddaddy me dijeron que a ella le encantan los gorilas ahora. -- le digo.
-- ¡Y claro que todavía tenemos que visitar a sus amigos viejos: los flamencos, los peces y la tortuga!

-- ¡Oh, hola, amigos! -- me sonrío mientras ella empieza a saludar con la mano a toda la gente caminando por el zoológico. Luego, ella señala el túnel con un dedo pequeñito.
-- ¡Sí, vemos el túnel! Es muy divertido, ¿no? ¡Y ya estamos muy cerquita a tus amigos!

¡Uuh, los aves!

¡Mira, los gorilas!

¡Mira, Daddy, la tortuga!

¡Miren! ¡Los manatíes! ¡Uuuh!

¡Todas mis actividades favoritas son más divertidas con nuestra hijita dulce! Y una visita al zoológico es la manera perfecta de empezar las vacaciones de primavera.

The end of the rainbow

Day 17 of 31 at TWT! 

Shhhh! Husband holds his finger over his lips as I walk into the house. A snuggly bundle of sweetness rises and falls on his chest.

Perfect, rosy cheek pouches curve still and smooth, framed by porcelain skin under a canopy of wispy cornsilk. Graceful lashes arch up from scrunched eyes, nestled below feathery eyebrows. Tender arms curl and cuddle, with little fingers daintily clutching soft, green fabric.

Deep, rhythmic breaths and little sighs escape through the tiny cavern embedded with miniature pearls.
HhhHhh.
HhhHhh.
Eh!

I settle onto the couch, riveted by the dozing miracle beside me. Pure love surges through me, and a song drifts into my head: the lullaby my mom always sang to me. "You're the end of the rainbow / the star on the tree..."

This St. Patrick's Day, I couldn't possibly be any luckier. The end of my rainbow was waiting right on the couch when I got home.

Afternoon snuggles with Daddy!

Bringing peace

Day 16 of 31 at TWT!

Despite repeatedly digging her tiny fists into her eyes and burrowing into Husband's shoulder, Little Sweetie has decided she does not want to go to bed. As she makes it clear that she has a strong pair of lungs, I'm scrolling through Evernote, trying to decide what to write about. Unlike some Marches, my list of writing possibilities is actually growing instead of shrinking, but none of the ideas call out to me tonight.

Upstairs, the crying is turning into wailing, so I sigh and decide to go give Husband a break. As I reach for her, those blue eyes widen and her open mouth stretches into a sweet smile. Wiggly arms reach up for me, and her whole body squirms with delight as I lift her now-familiar weight and settle her against me.

Two balled fists immediately cling to my robe, and she buries her face in my right shoulder. Sinking into the glider, I start rocking with a powerful push, stroking her velvety head. "Shhhhh, sweetie. It's alright." Little gulps of "but-I-was-upset-Mommy!" shudder periodically across her body, slowly turning into infrequent sighs and then steady breaths. I rock more gently, and she uncurls from a tense ball into a floppy frog.

Just when I think she might be asleep, a tiny finger starts to wiggle, digging rhythmically into my elbow and playing with the wrinkles in my robe. So sweet, but this is not the time to be curious! Suddenly, she does a push-up against my chest, gazing right into my eyes. Uh-oh! I rev the rocking speed back up, but she quickly flops back into my shoulder, apparently satisfied that it's me that she's snuggling.

I bend forward to cuddle her cornsilk head against my cheek and close my eyes, taking in the sweet smell of baby shampoo, the delicate tug of her miniature fists on my robe, the cozy pressure of her body on my chest and belly, her warmth in my arms, and the dangly weight of her little feet pressing into my lap. Thoughts of school drift away, sending the tension of the day floating with them. Back and forth we rock, melting into one swaying bundle of tranquility.

My eyelids are heavy, and she's nestled calmly against me, all floppy limbs and delicate breaths. I stop rocking. Still snuggly.

I stealthily stand up. A sluggish wiggle.
I creep over to the crib. A slight re-burrowing.
I freeze until I feel perfect serenity against me again.

Slowly, gently, I peel her off of me and bend over.
Squirm. Wiggle. Uh-oh?
I deposit her in the crib like I'm trying not to spill a very full glass of water.
Plop.
Stretch.
She flops her arms behind her head, wriggles once, and lets her head droop sideways onto one arm. Eyes closed, tiny hint of a smile on her perfectly placid face.

Success! My heart beams as I gaze down at those exquisite eyelashes, rosy cheeks, and adorable features: still an angelic echo in sleep of the newborn she used to be. So grateful that I can give her the peace she brings me.

A slice of summer

Day 15 of 31 at TWT!

"Looks like everyone else had the same idea!" We have to wait for a few cars to pull ahead before we can even turn into the Dairy Queen parking lot. The drive-thru line snakes around the classic little brown building, and the front deck is a sea of families basking in the sunshine. Giggling kids covered in dripping ice cream dangle their feet from the benches that face the street, pumping their arms at passing traffic and cheering every time they get a honk. Gaggles of teens in team jerseys cluster in gossipy blobs. Moms and dads lean forward and bending over, doing their best to wipe sticky fingers and faces on squirmy targets.

"This is amazing!" I chirp to Husband for probably the tenth time, between mouthfuls of shredded chicken and fried mushrooms. "It's like summer!" My cherry milkshake slides down my throat with the cool sweetness of childhood happiness. Growing up, my mom would pick me up from school to attend her students' sporting events with her, and we'd always go to this same DQ for the exact meal I'm eating right now. And last summer, when M&M was just a couple of weeks old, we took her to this DQ for our first dinner out.

Now, she's a big girl who beams at all the other customers, squealing and clapping with delight when people enter or leave the deck. Her curious little finger stretches toward each marvel that surrounds us, silently asking, "Ooh, what's that?!"

"Daddy! Look! What's that?"

Point.
"Do you see the big girls? They're eating ice cream!"
Wiggle.

Point.
"That's a sign! It says 'Dairy Queen.' That's where we are!"
Wide-mouthed grin. "Goo!"

"Bvvvvt!" Wiggle. Point.
"Ooh, do you see the doggie? That's a doggie!"
Squirm. "Ba-ba-ba! Bvvvv."

Point. Lean. Grab!
"That's Mommy's ice cream sundae. You can't have that yet! Soon though!"

Point. Slow, finger-wiggling wave.
"Are you telling those people 'bye-bye'? That's very nice! They're going home. We'll go home soon."

Point.
"Do you see the car? That's a black car. Those people are coming to get their ice cream."

I gaze at the sunlight gleaming golden on her soft blonde hair, and I'm so grateful for this early slice of summer.

Amazed

Day 14 of 31 at TWT!

A delicate, pink finger points from her outstretched arm. Her neck cranes upward as her blue eyes gape in astonishment.

"Ooh, do you see the umbrella? That's an umbrella!" I follow her gaze and realize that it must be pretty surprising to see the bright slices of colored fabric obscuring the sky. "The umbrella's colorful, isn't it?" I interrupt our mad dash into the restaurant to contemplate our tiny sanctuary, vibrant against the grayness all around.

"Goo!" Her mesmerized face breaks out of its initial inquisitive calm and into one of her signature smiles, kicking her feet against me. "Ba-ba-ba. Ooh-aaaaah!" Now that she has identified the umbrella, she's ready to talk about it.

"Hey, you guys, do you see this thing above us? It's amazing!"

"The umbrella keeps the rain off of us. Do you hear the rain? It goes pitter-patter. It's wet, but the umbrella keeps us dry!"

Rainy days make me want to hurry, scurry, and hunker down, complaining about the dreariness. Thank goodness I have Little Sweetie to remind me to stop and see the beauty that surrounds us, even on a rainy day. Seeing the world from her eyes and chattering to her about how it works, I am filled with a sense of peace and gratitude. Who knew you could learn so much from a baby?

Who you become

Day 13 of 31 at TWT!

"Ben te ha enviado una foto." I swipe my finger across the screen to access my messages. Two blurry black and white blobs fill the screen, and my heart is suddenly ready to burst. The whole world freezes as I stare at my phone. My best friend is going to have a little sweetie!!!

Bouncing in my seat, I recklessly interrupt whatever my husband and my parents are talking about. "Ben's going to have a baby!!!" I pat Husband's leg and smile over at Little Sweetie, remembering the whirlwind ten months of joy and learning we've had since she decided she was too excited to wait the last three weeks until her due date. She babbles in her highchair, squealing with delight at her toys, the window, the TV, my parents, and the other patrons at the restaurant. So much joy.

Before we had her, I was never a fan of babies. What weird little monsters! Everyone else seemed to love them, but why? They were always crying, spitting up, dribbling snot and spit everywhere, and needing their diapers changed. While everyone else ran to coo and play with a baby, practically knocking each other over for chances to hold it, I was the one backing away to watch from a safe distance where I wouldn't have to worry about if it would like me, if it would start crying, or if it would spew nasty germs all over me. And they were so floppy! How did everyone just know how to hold them? They were like strange little aliens. 

Sometimes there would be a lady with a baby in a waiting room or parent meeting, and it would be pulling her hair, touching her face, squirming and getting fussy. That poor lady! She can't even concentrate! And it's probably like that allllll daaaay lonnnng! How does she get anything done? 

When I saw that all-important word on that blue stick, I cried happy tears as I hugged Husband in the kitchen. But the closer her due date came, the less I could imagine myself with one of those weird, squirmy, crying things. A baby! What was I thinking?! We weren't going to get any sleep! How would I get my schoolwork done? I barely had any energy by the end of the day anyway... how on earth was I going to entertain and care for a baby after an exhausting day of teaching? Besides, I didn't even like babies! Would I still be myself if I became a mom? Who would I become?

And then, ten month ago, she was born, and I had never seen anything so perfectly amazing or so exquisitely adorable.  I learned to take care of myself, to take care of her, and to feel a whole new kind of love. I learned why everyone loves babies, why those ladies didn't mind the hair-pulling and wiggles, and why all my friends with kids had been beside themselves when I got pregnant. There's nothing in the world like a baby to make your life better in ways you never even imagined. There's nothing like a baby to help you become your best self.

So congratulations, Ben, and welcome to the luckiest club in the world. You can't possibly dream of what's ahead. I don't know who your little sweetie will be, but I know who you will become, and I'm so happy for you.

Husband is a wonderful dad, and I know Ben will be too!

Wonder and delight

Day 12 of 31 at TWT!

"Are you excited for your very first parade?"

"Gooo! Ba-ba-ba!" Of course, having never seen a parade, Little Sweetie definitely has no idea what I'm talking about, but she knows I'm excited, so she crinkles her eyes, shows off her seven adorable teeth, and claps her hands.

"And first, we're going to the pancake breakfast! You'll have to wait until next year to eat some yummy pancakes with green syrup, though!"

As soon as we walk into my middle school cafeteria, she wiggles and babbles as she spots Meemaw and Grandaddy. Her tiny fingers open and close as she waves at hundreds of new friends. As we adults dig into our green breakfast, she screeches and claps as she gets more and more wound up. Deciding that the paper leprechauns on the wall are her new best friends, she waves at them until we carry her over to meet them.

"Hello, new friend!"

 "I swear, it snowed every year that I marched in this parade in high school! And remember when our Girl Scout troop walked? We were all in our snowsuits!" But today's gorgeous weather definitely shows that God was just as eager for M&M's first parade as we'd been.

Reading in the spring sunshine while we wait for the parade!

Little Sweetie has loved bands since she'd wiggle in my belly at the sound of music, so it's no surprise when she claps and waves at every marching band and bagpipe corps. She flails and chatters at the horses and Irish dogs, staring and leaning forward until they disappear down the street.

Whoa! Those horses are so much fun!

When the giant balloons glide by, she burbles, waves, and tilts back to gaze up at them.

Hi, Kermit!

Whether you're a ten-month-old or her adoring parents and grandparents, the world is certainly full of so much wonder and delight.