Aug 15, 2011

Now.

She is 7 months old now.

She's giving me kisses now. 
First thing in the morning, especially.  Big, open-mouthed, sloppy wet kisses.  But they are the sweetest things, and make me laugh.  It is hard to believe she is old enough to be kissing.  And she's also old enough to coyly withhold them from daddy.

She's crawling everywhere now. 
And her favorite place to go?  Into the bathroom where she knows I've tucked away the dog food.  If she gets too quiet, I can be sure she's making a beeline for the open bathroom door, and more than once I've dug crunchy bits of food out of her clenched-down jaw.  Honestly I wouldn't care so much, except right now it could make her choke. 

She's full of curiousity now. 
She loves playing peek-a-boo and going outside.  She adores the water.  She watches everything so intently... you can just see her little wheels turning.  When we walk up the stairs, she giggles and giggles if she's in her daddy's arms and she can lean over and see me on the landing below.  That bird's eye perspective provides endless amusement right now.


The other day Jacob walked in the front door of our apartment after a long day at work.  Cora and I were sitting on the couch; I was doing something on the computer.  I looked over my shoulder and said, "Oh, hey there," and turned back to what I was doing.  But I caught a glimpse of Cora as I turned away from him.  She was still looking right at him, and her eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across her face.  She started squealing and giggling. 

I was distracted and busy - dealing with something that seemed so pressing at the moment. I offered a casual hello and went back to my own concerns... my own self-absorption.  But not Cora.  She had no concerns beyond the present moment.  And at that moment, Daddy was home.  She had nothing but pure joy for the gift of now.  At that exact moment, getting scooped up in Daddy's arms was the only thing that mattered in her universe.  She was fully present, fully alive, fully soaking in the joy of right now.


And I thought, "Have faith like a child."

Isn't that just what it is?  Faith?  Trusting that right now is all we really need?  Faith that God has given us good gifts for this moment to be enjoyed, savored, and loved and from that a trust that whatever comes next will also be held in His palm?  I want to learn this from my baby girl... how to stake down my tent in the land of right now.  How to soak up every beautiful moment for all that it is; for just like the last 7 months, it will pass far too quickly. 

4 comments:

Laine said...

I love this Carrie! Fully in the 'now'...me too me too me too! I want to live that way too!

Whether the now is full of giggles and baby cheeks or rivers of sorrow...He has something to reveal to us in each and every 'now' moment!

I love your posts!

And Cora is A-DOR-A-BLE! All caps and underlined 3 times! :)

Valerie and Jeff said...

As always you see the realness of NOW--and are reminding yourself to hang onto it and enjoy it. So true. Thank you for the reminder!! Oh it's hard sometimes when I'm caught up looking at the "greener grass" in some alternative reality. So silly really.
AND I love the little China that surrounds your water baby in the photo--unless you've somehow flown back East when I wasn't looking, you've found a bit for China right where you are. What a blessing. Great hearing from you with your wise words as always!

Chris and Jane said...

I cannot believe she's already 7 months old!! What happened? You know, everyone in my MOPs group thought it was hilarious that Haven ate dog food. They would ask me about it all the time. I guess it's frowned upon in some households? I really didn't see why it was so funny--I thought all kids (except for me because even at an early age I was a gourmand) sampled it. Except for it being a choking hazard, I think it's awesome Cora shares an affinity for it like H does. She sounds like a little stinker--exactly the kind of girl who can stay a week at her Auntie's when she's older. Maybe she can teach #2 the fine art of Mother Dodging...
Sure you don't want another one?

Anonymous said...

Preach it! I feel the same way and I have moments just like that! I love how you articulated it! xo

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