We were on our way home from daycare, and Bailey was buckled in her car seat, “reading” the bunny rainbow book. She started telling me all about rainbows and how pretty they were. Halfway home, she looked up from her book and said “I Love You, Mommy,” and went straight back to reading her book.
Wow! That moment took my breath away. She has told me, “You’re so pretty, Mommy” a few times recently, but usually she only says “I Love You” after we tell her we love her. Inside of that extremely active little body, Bailey has a very tender heart. She is stubborn and stong-willed and loud. She runs from us at bath (shower) time, then screams when it’s time to get out. She sometimes stays awake in bed, talking and playing, for an hour or more before she finally falls asleep…or lately, she gets out of bed to get stacks and stacks of books to bring to bed with her. Most of the time, she refuses to eat dinner or only eats a few bites. The past few months have been rough at times with this little girl…she is struggling to find her independence, and we are struggling for control. Through it all, I have moments when I truly question my sanity.
But at that moment in the car, all of the stress melted away and my heart swelled with joy. I was reminded of why God made me a mother. Little things like this happen each day with Lauren, Bailey, and Liam. Sometimes it’s just hard to look past all of the daily craziness and actually notice them.
I looked at Bailey in the rearview mirror and was taken back for a moment at just how big she is getting. She used to look so small in her car seat…her feet just barely reached the edge. Now her blonde hair (and big bow J) are peeking out over the top and her legs are long enough to kick the back of the front seat. The little baby coos she used to make have been replaced with her talking to her many beloved stuffed animals and singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” to us. Lauren has made me realize just how fast my babies grow up, and how in the blink of an eye they are out of their car seats and begging you to please drop them as far away from the front door of the school as possible. This realization makes me cherish these sweet “I Love You, Mommy” moments even more.
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