Letters to Layla

Dear Layla,

Every evening around 7:00 you have what we like to call Fussy Time.  Don't worry it's totally  normally.  The Baby Book says that all young infants fuss for about an hour in the evening because they spent all day experiencing new sights and sounds and smells and you just need to have a good cry over all that brain stimulation.  Last night Daddy was working late and Cash was hiding his head under the pillows to ignore your cries so I was was staring down Fussy Time all by myself.

I turned on the ipod and we started to dance and sing around the living room.  First up was 'Man in the Mirror' by MJ.  So we danced in front of the mirror.  No dice, still fussy.  Up next was Beyonce's 'All the Single Ladies', which we turned into 'All the Little Babies.'  I even helped you put your hands up.  This actually had the opposite effect of what I was going for.  Then Tim McGraw's 'It's Your Love' came on the ipod and we started to slow dance.  Your cries quited and you just stared at me with those big eyes and one little hand reached out to hold my finger.  As I was singing softly in your ear it struck me how those lyrices, while orginally from a husband to his wife, were just how I feel about you.  And as we swayed in the living room the moment was so tender and the words so poignant that it was me, not you, with tears in my eyes.  Here are the lyrics to our newest lullaby:

Better than I was, more than I am
And all of this happened by taking your hand
And who I am now is who I wanted to be
And now that we're together
I'm stronger than ever, I'm happy and free
Oh, it's a beautiful thing
Don't think I can keep it all in
If you asked me why I've changed
All I gotta do is say your sweet name

Love,

Mommy