This Time

Sorry it's taken me so long to get these poems posted.  I haven't stopped writing... there's just been a lag in post times.  And without further ado:

This Time

There are so many things I want to remember about this time:
 
The begging for the "Hane Nook!  Hane Nook!" as soon as she awakens
All Aboard the Dinotrain at least three times an hour
Bringing other books when I'm too bored to repeat it again.
 
The tickle of tiny fingers on the soles of my feet
The mischievous grin as she hears my laugh,
Grabbing for my feet again
 
Tripping along in my clogs, my jacket around her shoulders
With a "My naps!" she claims it as her own
As she struggles to do up the snaps
 
The chirpy voice pleading, "Up!  Up!  Hug!"
The brush of fine hair against my cheek
The smell of baby shampoo
 
The demands for blankies,
The delicate snore interrupting the movie twenty minutes in,
The feel of soft skin under my fingers as I caress her face
 
The new words every week, playing peekaboo and hide and seek
Hiding in the entertainment center and pulling the door shut behind her
The climbing and the running, a bundle in perpetual motion
 
The urge to explore everything, insatiable appetite for new things
The shivering and shrieking laughter when she's really excited,
Hunched over and arms waving
 
Running among the shelves at the library
Driving the fire truck and ice cream truck in the mall
Coloring and painting as long as I'll let her
 
So much to remember, so much to treasure
For this time will soon be gone.