Little Joys

You know how life hands you those little moments of pure joy and that make you think "It doesn't get any better than this." I had one of those today.

With busy season rearing its ugly head a little early this year, Aaron spends very little time at home. He wakes up at 7, is at the office by 8, and doesn't get home until midnight. It's nothing new for us, but with Grace in the mix it makes things a little harder for Aaron. Normally he gets her out of her crib in the morning, changes her diaper, and then brings her to me. It's his time with Grace, just him and her. He loves it.

This morning was different. In between buttoning his shirt and putting his shoes on he said, "I haven't heard anything from Grace, I'm going to go check on her." Through the monitor I heard the door click open and a few second later, shut closed. "She's out. She didn't even move when I walked in." I could tell he was disappointed. The sacred Grace time window was closing and he hadn't seen her in 24 hours. "I'll go check on her again." I said. I walked in her room making more noise then I usually would. I leaned over her crib. He wasn't lying, she really was out. I guess an ear infection can really take it out of you. With her being sick, I decided against waking her up. "Alright, I'm off to work." Goodbyes. I love you's. Kisses. And he was off. After I locked the door I weighed my options for going back to sleep. A few minutes later, I heard Grace. She was awake.

I ran to grab my phone. While dialing Aaron I put on my slippers and plucked Grace out of her crib. "Have you left the parking lot?!" "Not Yet" "She's awake, we're on our way out." I threw Grace's coat on her and dashed out the door. About halfway down the stairs I realized that the only thing I was wearing was my robe and my under jams. It was cold. And if the wind blew the right way, my neighbors might have gotten a show. Aaron pulled his car up to the spot right outside our apartment. As we got in his freezing cold car he reached for Grace and she smiled. We sat there in Aaron's freezing cold car. Me with barely anything on, Grace with puffy sleep eyes, and Aaron late for work, soaking up every second that we could of each other and I thought, "Life doesn't get any better than this."

And whata-ya-know, I met my next door neighbor for the first time as Grace and I walked up back up to my apartment, thin robe and all. "Howdy neighbor."