Journal Entry: My Whole Universe

[No card or project in this post -- just a short journal entry about the Russ family life -- which I thought I'd start sharing here every once in a while :o)]

Tonight is just like the other nights--at least that's what I think at first. I give the little one a bath; she splashes happily in the water and plays with her fishies and ducky and one-half of a pair of flip-flops. Daddy dresses her for the night and gets her a bottle.

We lie in bed--daddy on her right, mommy on her left, baby in the middle. She takes the bottle from her daddy and puts it in her mouth. We do high-fives and we tell her how proud we are and what a big girl she is for feeding herself. I caress her hand while her daddy hums and holds her close.

By the time she finishes her bottle, she is ready to sleep. With a sigh, she lets go of the bottle, pulls her hand from mine, and turns to her daddy for her nightly sleep cuddle. I watch as he engulfs her in his arms and holds her gently as she falls asleep, her face buried in her daddy's chest.

In that moment, I get another glimpse of my whole universe. I feel a tightness in my chest and I try to blink back the tears. "She's daddy's girl," I whisper.

He nods and says, "But she wants mommy here too when she goes to sleep."

I smile and say, "Yes, but you're the one she wants holding her at night and I think that's wonderful."

"I'm her protector," he says with pride.

"She trusts you and that's how it should be between a daddy and his little girl," I say with a lump in my throat. "How can your heart not melt when she obviously thinks the world of you?"

We wait ten minutes before putting the little one in the crib beside our bed. She rolls on her side and continues to sleep.

I can't wait for morning when one-half of my universe awakens.

–30–

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