Nurtured

I've had a relaxing day today. Zoe was kind enough to sleep in until 9:30 this morning so I was able to be lazy in bed for a while and then take a leisurely shower. When I did get Zoe up, we got her ready for the day and fed her breakfast. We played with the dogs and read books and cuddled. There were no tantrums, no freak-outs... just a lovely morning and early afternoon with my girl. And then shortly after Zoe's lunch, one of my best friends here in town came over with her seven month old and some salads. I put on Zoe's favorite movie: Annie while I got to sit back and relax while talking to a grown up and gushing over her precious little boy. Zoe, by the way, did fabulous with my friends' son. She gently pet his head and touched his arm and feet and you could see the glee in her eyes. She did not mind that I was giving him attention or that she was not the only child in the room. Frankly, she handled it all so much better than I thought she would. This gives me a great sense of relief. Besides just missing getting to talk to my girlfriends in person, this visit could not have come at a better time especially since I've been so concerned about how Zoe will be with a new baby brother. For the time being, my fears and concerns have vanished. I feel refreshed.

Days like this certainly do not go unappreciated. First of all, I am fully aware that my daughter's sleep behavior is out of the ordinary and that I am one lucky, lucky woman. Just getting to relax a little and have some alone time in the morning and in the shower is enough to make a normal day feel extravagant. Most days feel like they are focused on Zoe's happiness and I end up being happy because she is - but today I feel like we were both being taken care of/nurtured... and it was so damn easy I wonder why we don't make this happen more often.