I often close my eyes and imagine this little butterball of mine as a tiny newborn cuddled fast asleep in the crook of my arm. His head smelled like strawberries picked straight from the vine on a sun-drenched day and I couldn’t get enough of kissing his round chubby cheeks and cradling his little diapered bum in the palm of my hand. In some ways, it’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since he was born and in others it feels like a lifetime ago. Looking back, the days have passed by in a beautiful blur; I imagine them as a child’s fingerpainting: a striking smear of colors – messy and incohesive, inspired and vibrant.
Newborn | Five Months | Eight Months
If I had one word to describe this babe of mine, it would be “shiny”. The kid just full on shines. I see it in the deep blue of his eyes, which bear a strong resemblance to my father’s; I see it in his gaping smile which is his daddy’s through and though; I see in his signature dimple passed all the way down from his Great Granny Heaton. But that’s not where it originates. It originates deep within and emanates out. It’s a soul-shine, a light that radiates through our lives and warms everything it touches.
He has a penchant for teasing us with kisses and showing off his newest tricks, and when he knows all eyes are on him, he throws his head back and flashes the cheesiest, squintiest smile you could ever imagine. And the giggle that goes along with it… my goodness, that giggle. If there is one thing he loves, it’s making people happy and I feel so endlessly blessed that the universe chose us to soak up his soul-shine.
