39 Days

Color

I'm going to tell you about one of my most perfect days. I'll never forget it.

It started on a chilly fall day at about 8 a.m. when I was awoken by the slight breeze that crept through my window. I rubbed my eyes, and when I could see clearly the room was illuminated by the rising sun that casted an orange-yellow glow. The fresh air smelled earthy. I felt next to me and noticed that the bed was empty, the plush white comforter sinking as I pressed it, and I figured Ian had just gone to run some morning errands. I slowly force myself out of bed even though I desperately need sleep due to recently having our second child who keeps me up at insane times of the night. She's a handful. I first go to her room across the hall, peeking into her door of her periwinkle colored room to see her asleep for once. I leave her alone and go to Bella who is always an early riser. As I suspected, she's awake and playing with her favorite dolls.

"Hey Bella, watchya doin?" I ask her sitting on the floor in front of her.

"I'm just playing with Emilee," she holds up one of her favorite dolls, Emilee, "I want hair like Emilee's."

"You don't like your long hair?" I've always loved Bella's lusciously long hair. She shakes her head at my question and I shrug, "Well, how about mommy cuts your hair like Emilee's then?"

She lights up with joy and runs to the bathroom. I'm the only one who ever cuts her hair. I pull all of her hair into a tight ponytail with the binder just below her shoulders. Just before I cut it, I hear the door shut downstairs, and up comes Ian.

"What are you girls doing?" Ian says skeptically, walking past us.

"I'm gonna look like Emilee!" Bella says. I snip the end of the ponytail and Bella giggles with excitement. I fix the ends and set her up on the counter so she can see herself in the mirror.

"You look like such a big girl now Bell," I look at her through the mirror.

"I love it mommy, I look just like you now," she turns to hug me. In that moment I saw just how fast my little girl is growing up and I cherish every single little moment I spend with her. I toss the rest of her hair, and she trots to the kitchen. Ian and baby Tessa await us in the kitchen where he's cooking breakfast.

"Smells good in here," I say, wrapping my arms around Ian who's at the stove cooking. He turns his head to glance at me, and sneaks a kiss.

"I decided to make your guys's favorite breakfast today," he said turning the bacon, "only because I love you guys."

I smile and whisper, "I'm so lucky," and take the girls to the couch and turn on the TV to watch whatever is on today. Cuddled together, we watch a baking show, because Bella and I love making little baked treats together.

The light walls of the house are speckled with colors of the vibrant leaves outside that reflect their pigments off of the light rain that began to fall. It gives the house a more comfortable feel. 

"Breakfast is ready," Ian announces. I pick up the girls and we shuffle over to the table in the dining area next to the kitchen. We sit in front of enormous plates full of bacon, eggs, and Ian's French toast. 

I looked around the table and I'm still blown away by the fact that I'm a mom, I'm married, and I am grown up. I can't get over it. These are the moments I cherish, the ones spent with family, where the joy and happiness is pure and nothing else matters. 

And right now, nothing else matters.