Hands

Willow is at the stage now where her hands are starting to function. She can spin the flowers, balls and smiley face on her bouncy seat, she can reach for dangling toys, she can open and close her fist on my finger.

Some of my favorite moments take place while she is nursing and her hands make some of their earliest movements. Yesterday she nursed with her arms wrapped around a breast as though she was hugging a bear. Her hands will touch a breast, lift up, slide back down, rest, fall onto my chest, a pattern of weight and lightness, of firm softness, of gentle innocence that is beautiful to experience. Even when her hands are slimy from spit up, from sweat, from her tongue licking them like ice cream, they are still a velvety soft ivory, tiny little appendages that will bring her so many experiences in life.

I love her hands.