This weekend had one stand-out highlight: Olivia fell asleep on my chest on the couch.
Sounds so simple and ordinary...but she hasn't done this since she was a newborn. She's always too squiggly and wiggly and full-of-energy and never wants to snuggle.
So you can imagine my surprise when she reaches those little chubby arms up to the couch and holds a blankie in each fist. It started with her little head laying down, and I started to hum a lullabye... and sure enough, she was out. Even though her 24 pound frame was squishing me, I didn't care. I loved smelling her hair and snuggling her close. She smelled like sunscreen and sweat. It was so funny. She'd played so hard all day.
I took a cell phone picture to capture the moment. I wanted to remember how it felt to breathe in and breathe out with my sleepy girl beside me. My heart had been heavy all day - just thinking about Steven Curtis Chapman and his family. I knew the memorial for Maria was this weekend. So later I went online and found the following:
(source: The Tennessean)
"...And then Chapman recalled how he tried to fight for his little girl in the hospital, how he told the doctors he needed to pray, he needed to save her.
"That's what you do as a dad," he said, his voice breaking up. And how he asked God for a sign to know that his daughter was OK, and the frustration when it didn't come. Not right away, he said. And then he found a card Maria painted but never finished. When he turned it around, it read "see."
"I heard her little voice and the voice of God," he said. "She said: 'See, dad, it's OK.' "
I was so thankful to come accross this online. Ever since I heard of the news, I was praying that God would speak to the family - that He would give them a sign or a miracle or an angel or SOMETHING to let them know that He is with them.
I let Olivia sleep in my arms for hours that night. I thanked God for his words to the Chapmans, and for the reminder for myself to slow down and cherish each second I have with the ones I love.
3 comments:
What a beautiful moment. I'm glad you had a camera near by to capture it. I miss Mackenzie sleeping on me. It goes by so fast. I can't imagine what SCC is going through, or his family. My heart aches for them.
I remember when each of my boys were babies, I would hold them while they slept on me and pray that I would remember that exact moment. Now they are older, not by much my oldest will be 8 next month and then the other two are 6 and 4, but every now and again one will come sit by me on the couch and just lean into me and it brings back that emotion of when they were babies. The picture you have of you and your daughter is so precious.
What a precious moment, and wonderful picture!
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