Melt My Heart

There are some things in life that just make my heart a little melty, like mini marshmallows in a frothy mug of hot chocolate, or a popsicle in the hands of a toddler in the middle of a summer afternoon.

Like that moment, sometime after 5:30 pm, when my husband finally walks in the door and Kevin gets so excited, all her limbs start moving, and he looks at me, and then at her. I love that moment. I love what a wonderful father he is for her. I love to listen to him singing her lullabies, and peeking into her nightlight-lit room, seeing her cuddled up on his lap, him rocking her in the same chair where his parents rocked him as a small child. I love how sometimes, she just wants him. Most of the time, I just want him too.

Like last night, at 1:00 am, when the teething baby hadn't cried herself to sleep again and I got up with her and all she wanted was to be held close, her head on my shoulder and her arm wrapped around my bicep.  To trade sleep for that...well, last night it just wasn't worth it. There is something so special about the stillness of midnight. When I was younger, that time used to scare me. Now, there are no monsters for me, only bad dreams and teething pain to be chased away, and loves to give, and cuddles to savor from the child that doesn't cuddle during the daylight.

Like yesterday, when I watched Kevin playing with Scott's mom, and I realized how blessed she has been to have four loving people, totally devoted to her. I love seeing little bits of them in her--the constant chatter that she gets from Scott's father, the need to use her hands that she gets from Scott's mother, the creativity and love of books that comes from my mother, the sneaky smile and love of laughter that is so my father.

 

Like this afternoon, when my parents came by to visit, and my dad just couldn't let his granddaughter sleep any longer, so we went to check on her. Her hands were curled up by her face and both of her feet were sticking out of her crib slats. She was outer than out. So I left her there, with him watching. Miraculously, only a few minutes later, he walked out with a barely-awake-but-awake-enough-to-not-be-in-her-crib-anymore granddaughter.

But the moment that really melted my heart happened one second after this picture was taken,

when my daughter kissed her Grandpa on the cheek for the very first time, and he smiled like he'd just been given the biggest honor of his life.

Perhaps he had.