My baby loves me!

“Princesa (princess)”, I tell her, sweeping her bangs to the side, “Te amo muchísimo (I sure do love you)”.

 

She smiles coyly, tilts her head to the side, blushes, scampers away. Two seconds later, she returns with a picture frame. She holds it out to me, signs for me to see myself in the picture.

 

I see myself and tell her "si, esa es mamá (yes, that is mom)", and she melts into me. Little fingers grabbing my sweater and the hair at the base of my head. Little ear pressed up against my cheek. She sighs, pulls back, leans in with her lips pursed for a kiss. I tell her that momma is powered by kisses, so she needs to keep me well-stocked. Sometimes she comes up to me now, lips ready, and plants a smooch on my leg or my eyes or my elbow. BESHO!, she says. Kiss power!

“UPA? (lift me up?)" she asks. I scoop her up, cradle her like an infant, peer down at her beautiful eyes, her raspberry-jam grin. “Felíz? (happy?)”, I ask her as I rock her back and forth. She sighs contentedly. I realize that she will outgrow this soon, so I keep rocking and gazing and adoring.

 

After a moment of silence, I feel her body relax. She nuzzles against me and I carry her to bed to watch a video together. I sit down and her eyes droop. “BANY (Barney)” she requests. I find her some Barney songs. Her eyelids are heavy, my arms are all around her, holding her very close to me. And right before she falls asleep, she opens them one last time. “MAMO (I love you)” she says sleepily, warm and safe and happy.

 

I have never wished time would stand still more than I did in that moment.