Them

Hello July.  You sure snuck up on me.  

Today, my baby girl turned three months.  A quarter of a year.  Ninety-one days.

Can time stand still for just a few days?  Was there even a June this year?

I just came home from a wonderful night with two very dear friends.

I crept quietly up the stairs to find Steve fast asleep under the covers,

and Piper all cozy, snoozin' beside our bed in her Rock 'n Play.

I kissed Steve and whispered "I'm home."   I kissed Piper's sweet fuzz head and wished her a "Happy three months!" one more time.  I kicked my shoes off into my closet.  Crept down the hallway, and plopped my butt down here, in the office.  

I'm in the mood to write.  I'm pretty sure, if I had a whole free day, I'd type and type until my fingers went numb.  I'd sit here with cup upon cup of coffee and spill every last emotion down until I had not a word left in my heart.  

 

 Tonight, a bit about them...

 

 I love this photo.  I took it on the morning of Father's Day.

Crazy to think that was already a half a month ago.  

That Sunday morning, we woke up and spent a few hours at home together.  Just being us.  We so needed that...to just be us.  To have some normalcy.

It'd been a long few weeks "living" at the hospital.

There isn't a better word than bittersweet to describe that day...

There I was, crying happy tears, as I kissed Steve and wished him a happy Father's Day...feeling beyond grateful to see my husband clinging to our baby girl - a father, at last.

There I was, hours later, holding back tears.  And holding my dad's hand,

 as I wished him a happy Father's Day as he laid in his hospital bed.

I wondered if my dad heard me.  I wondered if he heard me tell him how proud I was of him.

I wondered if Steve knew just how very proud I was of him...for everything he is to our daughter.  

And to me.

I mean, this guy...he can make me wanna slam his head against the wall sometimes (sometimes, my own, for that matter).  But most of the time, and especially lately...like, the past ninety-one days kinda lately...

He just amazes me. 

And I need to tell him that more often than I do.  I mean, I tell him.  

But I don't think it's enough.  

Watching Steve be a Daddy to Piper...

It takes my heart to places it's never been before.

 

She is so head over her chubby, little heels

in love with him.  Even strangers notice it...

The way she falls into his chest.  The way her face 

says "I feel protected." 

 There were so many days last month, Piper and I would be hanging out in the waiting room or dancing up and down the hallway.  Steve would come by after work and as soon as Piper's eyes met with her Daddy's, it was over...

She'd melt in his arms.

There are so many times I catch them like this.

It never gets old.

I didn't have time to get Steve a Father's Day gift.  

(Sweet, Aunt Karen picked him up a case of one of his favorite beers).

Muffin enjoyed his gift, too.

I knew a little Pips, all dolled up would be sure to put a smile on Daddy's face.

So, I broke out a pretty little dress from Dee Dee.  And got Piper ready.

A few photos from our day...

*****

This past Saturday night, I was exceptionally exhausted.

  After a very long day, I climbed into bed, moody 

and feeling pretty drained.

But then I looked to my right.

And the tiredness went away for a while.

And I couldn't help but stare...

At them.

My daughter and my husband.

Oh, how I love them.

<3

Wishing everyone a wonderful start of the month!

As always, thank you for all the caring words and sweet prayers.

I'll be back later on this week.

<3<3<3

Lovin' Them Oh So Much,