My Heart Took a Picture

Abby and Isaac and Brianna are all sick.  Oh, wait - let me show you my surprise face . . . . Yeah, I don't really have one.  This scene is all too common and familiar!  Draining me and my budget!  But that's a story for never a day! ;-D

The night before last, I went upstairs to my mom's bedroom where we are all sleeping.  The routine is that I put the kids to bed in "Gamma's bed" and then move them when they are asleep.  Oh, and I have to mention that they find their way back to Gamma's bed several times a night, but the intent is to have just two in the bed instead of five.

Anyway - as I was putting them to bed, they kept hitting each other, pushing their feet against each other, rubbing the wall, rolling on top of each other on "accident" and just doing the typical sibling stuff.  And after over an hour -- they were NOT SLEEPING.  And momma was NOT HAPPY.  So I did what a smart mom would have done from the beginning: laid in between them. 

Now in the midst of all of this not-sleeping accident-happening fanfare, I had reached over and held one of each of their hands.  Not that it had the impact I had hoped because they still got creative with their other hands and feet.  But I gave it a good shot.

When I laid in between them, Isaac held on tightly to the one hand he had been holding.  And then he took the other hand and started petting my face, like I do to them to gently close their eyes when they aren't sleeping.  But I saw it as just one more distraction to keep him awake, so I turned my head towards the other twin.  Then he started stroking my ponytail.  And there we laid, my hand in his, his other hand gently stroking my ponytail until he fell asleep. 

Did I mention he fell asleep holding my hand and stroking my ponytail?  Just checking.

It was really sweet.

One of my dear friends wrote a post a few days ago about how there are times when you have to create moments that will be memories for your children.  You make the mess in the kitchen to make the cookies inspite of the mess in order to have the memory of making the cookies and the smiles and giggles on your children's faces when you do.

I agree with her SO MUCH!  But this little moment with my little man taught me something else.

Sometimes you just have to quiet your heart down enough for it to take a picture of the moments you did not and could not in a million years create . . . or ever forget!

In this moment, no mess necessary, no elaborate plan put into motion, no calories for the sake of my children having a fun memory with mom -- my heart took a picture.  And lest I forget, I'm writing it down.

It reminds me of another picture my heart took the last time we were here at my mom's - after Brianna was born when Dave was so sick for so long.  I had taken the twins up to put them to bed.  Same scene, different day.  I was holding Brianna.  Isaac was pitching fit after fit.  Finally he looked at me and said, "Mom - I hold Beenana, I hold him."  I reluctantly gave in after a few persistent requests.  And he laid there still as a board and held her on his arm, his little head touching her little head, the most peaceful expression on his face as they slept.  And he didn't move a muscle.  And this mommy heart took a picture of a little boy loving and protecting and cuddling with his baby sister. 

I hope there are many more picture-taking moments like these to record, just in case my camera breaks or forgets with old age or gets a full card that I can't sort through to find the specific pictures I'm looking for! ;-D

Let your heart be quiet today -- see what pictures it has been taking all along!