One day before turning five months, Grace got her first hug from a little boy. It was a spontaneous squeeze by our truly adorable 1 1/2 year old neighbor, Lincoln. Grace's response - a sweet smooch on his cheek (well, it was really more like a slobbering face plant but he didn't seem to mind.)
Watching Grace interact with Lincoln and his big sister was a window into what is to come. She is becoming social. She is interacting with the world around her. I see it in all the little moments... like when she dances with her Dad, goes to touch my sister's face or roars with laughter when my Mom tickles her. And when the "hug" moment with Lincoln happened, his Mom, Chandlee, turned to me and said, "Where's the camera?" Neither of us had one. But looking back, I think I prefer it that way, though. It allowed us to be truly present in the moment- watching three innocent little people jump with joy on the side porch of our house on a perfect summer night. Jumping and hugging. Jumping and giggling. Jumping and smiling. Even Baby Grace, as she's known on our street.
Being present in the moment is something I am striving for. It's something I do not always achieve. I have this crazy compulsion, as so many other parents likely do, to pick up the camera and view the moment through the lens or create a moment, even when Grace may not be ready for primetime. Don't get me wrong, the camera is a necessary mommy accessory. It is recording some precious moments that we can look back on later. Moments we can use to embarass Grace when she graduates high school or gets married, if she does. Right now, A.J. and I have a running series of "Grace tries..." as we record her reactions to everything from eating bananas to sweet potatoes. Here's a sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdYtWp0xYmc
But I guess the challenge is to remember that the really special moments rarely happen when the camera's rolling. They happen when we fully engage in what life has laid out for us. So Grace, Mommy pledges to put down the camera more and, instead, use my free hand to stroke your beautiful chubby cheeks or hug you like Lincoln did... just because it felt good in that moment in time.
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