Givin' love

A week ago or so I was teaching Max how to give his little baby toy some love. I held the baby up between my shoulder and cheek and hugged it and saying "awww" with a rising, then falling pitch.  After a couple examples I handed him the baby and he mimicked my coo as he squeezed it next to his face, squinting his eyes with purposeful tenderness. Then I picked him up and laid his head down on my shoulder, gave him a loving squeeze and repeated the sound. After a few minutes, Max was inclining his head to my shoulder and cooing away. I told him to "give mama love" and he leaned in to me with a wide open, drool-soaked mouth. 

Be still my heart. 

Well, ever since our little lesson, I have yet to get Max to demonstrate his new trick for anyone else except for Kelby. Maybe I have a need to prove Max's intelligence. Is that a new parent thing? 

Anyway. This morning Kelby brought Max into our bed because he woke up a little earlier than we were hoping for. He sat between us with his sippy cup enjoying his morning milk and then leaned towards me with a wide open milk mouth and smmmooooooch! Behind sleepy eyes and morning confusion, I laughed at how cute that was. Then he leaned towards Kelby and did the same thing. He probably did that 5 times, back and forth, between each of us. Then I scooped him up and laid him on my tummy. He rested his head next to mine and said, "aw-AW-aw." 

Today was the sweetest wake up call.

Share some love today.