Monday, May 5, 2008

Magic Moments

We had a moment Saturday night, The Baby and I. One of those sweet moments that naïve people like me imagined would happen all the time once life included children.

Long ago my husband and I decided that we were going to continue our weekly ritual of dining out. You can read about our downward dining spiral here. Dinner ran a little late on Saturday as we had a few errands to run. Since The Baby had YoBaby in his hair and had rubbed roasted Peruvian chicken into his eye sockets, skipping a bath wasn’t an option. Because of the time, our almost-13-month old was fast asleep when we got home.

Sticky situation (pun intended), should we wake The Baby to give him a bath and bottle or leave him sleep and chance that A) he’ll go blind from the aforementioned Peruvian chicken spices or B) he might wake up at 3 a.m. and want the bottle we put him down without. We weren’t taking any chances.

After the quickest bath ever (partially due to tub poop, but this is a story about a special moment, so I’m omitting this dirty little detail), and a quick bottle, I carried my half-sleeping child to his room.

I held him in my arms and stared at his tiny face marveling at how much he’s grown and changed in the last year and trying desperately to absorb the moment because I know they are fleeting. I kissed his cheek and whispered, “I love you.” He opened his eyes. I blinked back a few tears. When I re-focused, he was smiling the sweetest smile I think I’ve ever seen. He reached up and touched my face – my lips, my eyes. And then he quietly said, “Dada.”

hhmmmffff. I know what he meant to say. :-)

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a sweet (and funny) story! Love reading your blog. I hope you can climb back up the dining spiral now. Michele :-)

Shauna said...

Dining out? We've done that maybe once. :)

We haven't had tub poop yet. Knock wood.

Muffin Cake said...

Awww...that's so sweet! Funny, sad, and sweet all at once. Maybe he was saying 'Dada' as in "Dada better clean the tub poop and let you rest!"?

Vanessa said...

I know how that goes, except my situation, Little Man SAYS mama. Unfortunately, mama is his pacifier. :(

No tub poop yet, but I'm sure it is in our future, if not now, during potty training.

Scylla said...

We went out for our anniversary with the kids when the baby was very small.

That was the last time we went out with the kids anywhere nice.

We will try again in about another year.

Of course we all know what he meant to say!! Lovely moment.

Kayris said...

That's precious. I'm laughing and sniffling all at the same time.

Kat said...

Awww. I know those moments well. You are right to cherish it. It does go so fast.
So sweet!

Momisodes said...

Awww! I blinked back a few tears myself reading this :) I remember those sweet moments with my daughter. But that ending...priceless ;)

Paula Lynn Johnson said...

With or without the Peruvian chicken, OR the tub poop, your little guy is just precious.

BusyDad said...

That was too sweet a story not to change. No one was there, and he won't remember anyway. He said "mama" ;)