I'm sure my kids feel that way. They probably always have an eerie feeling that someone is staring them down. You know, that feeling where you just know someone is watching your every move or that their eyes could burn a hole in your skin. That person staring my kids down is me!
What can I say? I can't help but stare at my beautiful girls - especially when they sleep. I thought about this blog topic as I was laying down with my 10-month old this afternoon trying to put her down for a nap. I was overwhelmed by just how precious she is. I could have laid next to her all afternoon just counting every golden hair on her head or watching her rosebud lips quiver as if sucking on an invisible pacifier. When my three year old sleeps, I love the tenderness of her pink cheeks and the way her eyelashes curl. I am in such awe of these beautiful creatures, I really could stare at them every second of the day. It's just too bad gawking at the kiddies doesn't pay the bills, am I right!?
Riley has caught me gazing over at her with misty eyes, a crinkled forehead and pout and asked me "Mommy, what are you looking at?!" It's too hard to explain to her that I am mentally begging and pleading with the hands of time to stop where they are, somberly watching their childhood go by at super speed with no pause or slow-motion button or that I am looking at her trying to freeze and capture that moment or the look on her face to store it in my memory bank. I simply tell her that mommy is looking at her with love. It depresses me deeply knowing that they will not remember much about this time in their life and more so that I will not remember much about this time either. Pictures and videos can only do so much - they don't capture the way your baby's breath smells, the softness of their sweet skin, the way your heart flutters when they smile at you or tell you they love you (whether with words or with the way they embrace you).
Of course, there are many other reasons for watching them like a hawk other than for the sheer pleasure of it. I have to constantly keep a watchful eye to ensure my three year old isn't using our white walls as a canvas for her latest artistic rendering or to prevent my 10-month old from sticking every object under the sun into her mouth in her own game of "Is This Edible? Let's Find Out!"
It's a special treat seeing their little personalities develop. My three year old is extremely considerate, sensitive and creative. I just love watching her nurture her sister, show emotion when she sees something that brings her joy or draw a picture of a turtle or our family at the beach. She reminds me so much of me when she dances around while singing "we're always, gonna be together" (her own version of "We Go Together" from Grease) or when she plays waitress and jots down my dinner order on a notepad. My 10-month old is playful, curious and strong. I smile ear to ear when I see her devilish grin as we play our own little game of "I'm gonna get you" (my version of a tag/hide-n-seek hybrid), when she cruises around seeking something new to discover and get her hands into or when she tumbles like it was nothing and gets right back to whatever she was doing (which was probably something mischievous). I see my passion and stubbornness in her when she continues to try something over and over again (until she gets the hang of it or until she gets her way).
No matter the reason for my intense stare down, nothing gives me greater joy than having the privilege of watching these girls grow. Although I'm not thrilled about the growing bigger or older part, I am certainly enjoying their growth as individuals. Their unique intricacies combined with their stunning similarities is visually (and emotionally) stimulating. Clearly, I am in love with my girls. I just hope my love is as transparent to them - now and always!
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