how far we’ve come

Sadie has been waking up, ready to start her day, around 5:30 a.m. for the past two weeks. I grunt and get out of bed, only to find this funny, happy girl greeting me, reminding me to lighten up.

On the few days when she has slept later, I found myself lying in bed awake at 5:30, waiting for her to wake up. Oh, motherhood!

This morning, instead of tossing and turning, I got out of bed, rolled out my yoga mat, and folded myself into child’s pose. It was heaven. The house was quiet. Everyone was sleeping. The sun was rising on a crisp morning. And I was taking care of myself, even just for a few minutes.

I inhaled and exhaled and giggled to myself. “Wouldn’t it be funny if the baby woke up while I was in child’s pose?” I thought.

Wouldn’t you know it, the next second I heard a whimper followed by her sweet jibber-jabber coming from her room. Without even seeing her, I knew she was saying good morning to Piglet. (They have long conversations about life.)

And so my day began. Not with a bang like the early days of motherhood, but with a stretch, a breath, and the happy sounds of my baby who is growing into a girl.

Simple, yes. Nothing complicated. But it’s moments like this that remind me how far we’ve come. Gratitude doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling.

I roll up my yoga mat, take one more breath, and finish watching the sun rise through my daughter’s eyes.

I must remember this day.