Savoring her toddlerhood

I know how quickly this time passes. 

Toddlerhood.  

I know it because I've been here twice before.  

I'm doing all that I can to savor each moment of it right now...

She is my youngest and I want to remember all of the 

mundane moments of her toddlerhood because her little self has simply sped by me... 

She didn't ask me to hold her.  She had fallen asleep in the car.  I felt like I needed to hold her because if I didn't I'd later agonize over not holding her enough once she gets too big.  

The things we mothers think about.  

It can drive us nuts but we do our best.  

I studied her face like that of a treasure map.  

Every crease on her eyelid, her translucent skin,
every single peach fuzz hair on her upper lip and cheeks.  

Her lips get dried like mine... she'll always need to wear moisturizer.

Her eyelashes are outrageous and perfect.
She may be able to do without mascara.  Lucky.

Sometimes her lips twitched in the sweetest way.  I don't want to ever forget this. 

How can this tiny being sprout so fast? 

Time is a thief but I'm stealing these moments for myself.  

She woke up at one point and said, "I'm not tired." 

Sometimes I wonder if she'll ever know how much she moves me to calmness. 

Kalina, you move me to calmness, sweet child... You've given me patience.

Her eyebrows look as if a meticulous artist painted
the canvas of her face with gentle strokes and deliberate precision.  

When she noticed that her mama was cradling her closely, 

she gently shut her bright blue eyes again and sunk her little face into my chest.  

Her breathing matched mine and her warmth made me not want this moment to end.

Savoring these moments... 

Toddlerhood is love and exhaustion but undoubtedly worth every ounce of it. 

I sat with her in my arms as she napped.  

I held her close and froze these images in my memory 

and seared the deep emotion in my heart 

that accompanied this quiet and peaceful moment with her.   

I love you my sweet flower, Kalina...