This is so mean.

But I can’t help myself.

On the left… Buddy Lee.

On the right… my Raphael enjoying his first taste of raspberry pancakes.

It’s a mommy thing. We love to watch our babies sleep, don’t we?

Thankfully, 2 year old Gabrielle knows enough to get the rest she needs when she needs it. These days, with holiday excitement and relaxed bedtimes, getting enough rest requires her going unconscious on the living room couch for 45 minutes or so in the late afternoon.

She never seems to sit quite still enough for me to get a good look at her during waking hours, so I have been making up for it during these impromptu naptimes. Maybe it’s because I love to study her soft baby-like features. Maybe it’s because I love how her body warms up as she breathes steady, quiet breaths. Maybe it’s because I love how she remains oblivious to the sibling chaos that surrounds her.

Yesterday evening, when it seemed she might snooze through dinner, I decided that I should head over to the couch and try to wake her. It was dark and warm in there–the soft glow of white Christmas tree lights were all that lit the living room. There was the gentle sound of Christmas music playing nearby. I leaned in close and pressed my cheek against hers. The warmth of her body enveloped me as I held my face next to hers. For just a moment, I lay there breathing with her. Softly. Slowly. Deeply.

Every moment with our children should be so peaceful and pleasurable, I thought to myself.

But then, maybe they all are underneath. Underneath the noise and commotion, the clutter and the pressures of daily living. Maybe we just need to slow down enough to see that those moments are there. And treasure them.