Permission to Live
The way they insist on sitting in your lap when you are eating dinner. And watch in awe as every single bite travels to your mouth. You can just see the longing in their eyes, and in the way they are always grabbing your plate.
How they crawl behind you as you try to make lunch, wailing pitifully because they are really tired and just need to go take a nap right now!
How they stop nursing to have sweet conversations with you.
The way they snuggle softly into your neck when they fall asleep.
How incredibly fast they can get around!
The way they giggle when you trip, cough, hop or do something else equally random.
How angry they get when you have to take something away from them.
How many things end up in their mouth! (How does she have such an uncanny ability to find stuff I forgot about months ago?)
How they get wriggly and giggly at bedtime, instead of settling down to sleep.
They way they wear out the knees and toes of their sleepers from constant action.
The way they cover their eyes or play with their ear or their hair as they are peacefully nursing themselves to sleep.
How they try to roll over and crawl away in the middle of every diaper change.
The way they ignore their toys, preferring instead the stale cheerios under the couch, the candy wrapper dropped by a sibling, or the various items of clothing they manage to remove from their bodies.
The dexterity of those tiny fingers that rip off your earrings and hang on your necklace.
The look in their eyes as they listen so seriously to the words you are saying or singing, and try to say some of their own.
The wet slurpy open mouth kisses they cover your face with.
How soft their tiny-never-walked-on feet are.
How excited they get when they recognize you from across the room.
How you never want to stop rubbing your face against their little chubby cheeks.
How much you can love a tiny little person who has never even said your name.
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