Time for Two.

Today turned out to be the perfect Icing on this week's Cake. It was a fabulous day. It was simple, uncomplicated, normal.

Rewind for a minute to the earlier part of the week: Luke started a new week-long camp, Patrick had two doctor's appointments, two visits at home from the visiting nurse, three therapy appointments, along with the usual matters of grocery shopping, cooking, pumping, feeding Patrick (ng tube feedings are a Royal Pain - save this for another post), neaten-ing (I don't even pretend that I'm cleaning: I'm just straightening up piles, or shifting them from one surface to another), time to myself (ha!), catching up with my husband (ha! ha!)...

In truth, by the time I went to bed last night, I felt like I'd been going non-stop since Monday morning. And when I woke up this morning I was still tired, but grateful that in just 10 hours, Jeff's work-week would be over and he'd be back here in the Nest. I just had to get through the day.

And much to my wonderment, the day was full of surprises. Best of all: nothing was rushed.

After a visit from the nurse (Patrick weighs 13 lbs, 15.5 ounces!), and while Luke was still at camp for the morning, I gave Patrick a bath. It was leisurely. Patrick was happy to kick his feet and splash around and look out the window. I was happy just to watch him. It was one of those rare moments for me, when the world around me falls away and I was just there, in that moment with Patrick. I wasn't worrying about him, I wasn't plotting my next move, I wasn't making a grocery list in my head. I was just there with him, and he with me.

And it was wonderful.

Is there anything more delicious than a baby right out of the tub?

I think not!

And like anyone would do after a nice long warm bath, Patrick took a nice long morning nap. Leaving me to do . . . nothing.

And it was wonderful.

I drank anther cup of coffee, sitting on the couch, in the quiet. I didn't check Facebook. I didn't play Words with Friends on my iPhone. I didn't watch my many recorded episodes of the Barefoot Contessa. I sat still.

Later this afternoon, while it was raining and Luke was 'relaxing' on the couch in the living room (code for: I don't want to take a nap in my room, but I'm really too tired to do much of anything), and I was in the kitchen, this happened:

Hey, Mom?

Yes, Luke.

Want to come and snuggle with me?

How do you turn that down?

True to form, Luke lasted all of five minutes in snuggle-time; so we decided to play a few rounds of CandyLand.

The miracle of it all? Patrick quietly napped. Luke and I were uninterrupted. A rare moment for us these days. I treasured it.

It was wonderful.