Lifted

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I woke up in a bad mood today. A really awful, classically hormonally driven BAD MOOD.. So the better part of my morning I chose to avoid society. Probably for the best. But anyone who knows me well knows that there are a few things that will at least help me when I am in one of these moods..

Diet coke.. I know, but HELLO Phenylalanine!! God’s own mood enhancer.
Good Music (like Matt Morris)
Reading Blogs
Talking to friends
Massage (this didn’t happen for me today, but it goes on the list..)
Sweet baby cheeks..

Wait, what?? yeah, sweet baby cheeks. I guess these wouldn’t be on every list. But they go on the list today. Mostly because they really did lift my mood. Really. I believe God makes baby cheeks extra soft. There are a few reasons for this. But the main reason is that they’re irresistibly kissable. Eli, in particular has the sweetest cheeks ever seen by anyone. I know this because I am his mother and I kiss them regularly. And I happen to be totally impartial.

Every day when I lay down with Eli for naptime I am reminded of this. It’s an old habit from the days when I would nurse him to sleep. I lay down beside him, cradling his head in my arm and caress his head. His sweet blue eyes rimmed with the longest eyelashes ever. He grins and pulls his “KiKi” in close for a snuggle (that used to be mine).. I marvel at how his face has changed and he has grown up. Even at two, he seems so much older. He’s growing up, and fast. And then comes the moment that I love.. The sweetest part of the ritual. There’s a bit of back rubbing, a bit of patting, and then, the kiss.

The thing about kissing Eli’s cheeks is that one kiss is not enough. Never. In fact I venture to guess that if I were to do a field study on kissing his cheeks there would be nary a soul who could endure only one kiss. I always give a minimum of three or four kisses. Often they are rapid-fire kisses all over his cheek that elicit giggles from the sleepy tot. But I can’t get enough. I just can’t.

One day, in the not so distant future, those cheeks will fill up with cheekbones. Like Simon’s have. They won’t be padded with sweet baby fat any more. I will mourn the loss of those beautiful sweet baby cheeks. I will probably cry and be a pathetic maternal mess. But for now, they’re all mine..

And for today, they have totally lifted my mood..

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Filed under Love, blogging, family, kids, thankful, writing

Tags: blogging, kids, Love, thankful, writing