Profound

“Young boys (or girls) should never be sent to bed. They always wake up a day older.”

― J.M. Barrie

I thought about this quote tonight while I was feeding Maggie.  I asked Kev if he would finish putting her down so that I could read to my two year old one more time.  I had this fleeting and somewhat insane thought that maybe if I read to her, I could drag it out and she could stay little just a bit longer.  As it was, she never even made it through the first book, Violet the cat was still stuck up a tree, and my Little was fast asleep on my shoulder.

As I pulled her quilt up around her shoulders Kev tip-toed in and said "when she wakes up tomorrow she'll be a three year old." I wanted to stamp my foot on the ground and say something ridiculous like, "not if I can help it!" But I didn't, I just turned off the light and thought about how much I love her.

There is this one moment that I remember like it was yesterday. We had been home for two days with our new baby...the house was asleep except for me and my Little.  I picked up a book and read to her for the first time and then through teary eyes, I starred at her for the rest of the night. Just me and her alone in her room.  I was overwhelmed with my feeling for this tiny person..they were profound to say the least.

I swear that night happened just yesterday, but today she stood in the living room with her hands on her hips and declared "Mommy, I do not want to watch the Today Show, I want to watch a movie."  Then she changed her clothes 3 times, had a conversation with a rather large spider, and forced Maggie into a family hug.  How is it she can walk, and talk, and run, and do oh so many other things..so profound.

Every year, around this time, I am reminded of the one truth in mothering that no other mother could have advised me on...in mothering your child you LOVE, and you LOVE till it hurts...Once the ache begins you are certain that if it ever stopped you would surely fall apart because you love them that much...Love soooo profound.

I am fairly certain that the Father uses parenting as way to draw us closer to Him.  Not only in the sheer miracle that is growing a baby inside of you, but in loving them also.  I'm sure that in loving her, with that deep, deep love, I catch  just a glimmer of how He loves me, His child.  Love...so profound.

Everyday, every tantrum, every tap on my shoulder before the sun is up wanting to crawl into my bed, every moment with this wild thing,  I cherish.  I tell myself that one day I'm going to miss every minute of this beautiful simple and uncomplicated stage of life...

My girl is pure delight.  I tell her every night that she is my precious girl.  The other night when I told her this she grabbed my chin and said "no Mommy, you're my precious girl."

So tomorrow she will dance into her third year of life, on tip toes most likely, living out the name we gave her when they placed her in our arms....Liberty Rose, our little freedom flower.

So here's to my precious, precious girl...may she always be as lovely as she is today, on her third birthday (sigh...the clock has ticked past twelve meaning that she truly is 3...how profound ;)
I love that Little girl.
xoxo