Love

Fourteen years ago, I got my first dog ever. Little Hunter. He was so cute and small and lovable. I remember that I lived in an apartment with 3 steps leading up to the door and he was so little, he couldn't even get up the steps. But everyday I would come home from work (or the store, or even from the mailbox) and whether I'd been gone for 10 hours or 10 minutes, Hunter would always be so excited to see me. He'd wag his little tail so much, his entire butt would shake. And no matter what kind of "argument" Hunter and I would have, we always forgave one another and he always loved me. Unconditionally. My love for Hunter is something that I just cherish. But poor Hunter, he's been moved back to second fiddle because here comes the baby.

Fast forward to November 20, 2008 and here comes Courtney and a love that I never knew anything about. Here is this tiny little person with these itty bitty fingers and toes who needs us for everything. We clothe her, feed and change her, tickle her little tummy and feet, provide her with a comfy home, and basically dote on her all the time. And with every passing day, she rewards us with a little bit more of her self. She smiles when you smile. She laughs when you tickle her. She puts up with my swimming and pilates classes. And very rarely does she complain. Even when she throws up the banana you just fed her or spits up on the clothes that you JUST put her in, you can't help but love her.

Courtney often wakes up around 6:30 or 7 am for a feeding (well, she wakes up all hours, but that's one she wakes up at fairly regularly) and I bring her into the bed with us. I'll nurse her and inevitably we'll both fall asleep for a couple more hours. And here is where my heart just melts.... Several times over the past couple of weeks, I'll wake up and there she is, just looking at me. She has these big hazel/gray/not-quite-blue eyes and she's just looking at me, waiting for me to wake up. She's so innocent and so peaceful. And when I open my eyes and see her there, loving me unconditionally, I melt into the mattress and my heart fills with joy. I smile and she smiles. She'll throw her legs up in the air and grab her little feet and we'll both be as happy as we can be. I just love her until the ends of the earth.