There is no denying time, it passes whether you want it to or not. Last night my sweet little girl, my first born whom I can still recall as a newborn infant, asked me if she could cuddle up next to me and fall asleep on my bed. She is now a 4’10",  lanky version of that little puddle of joy. How could I deny her cuddling with Mami.  I read her Nancy Drew and allowed her to fall asleep.without having to move. I stared at her beautiful face as she dreamed a sweet dream, I am sure. I remember how having her fall asleep on my chest or next me quieted down my brain and gave me peace. Her presence by my side focused my my every thought as a profound sense of unlimited love took over my being.

 Ironically, the morning after she wanted to fall asleep like a little baby snuggled against her Mami was the day she wanted to go with all of her posse in tow to the Piercing Pagoda and have her ears pierced.

It was no surprise, really. We had been talking about it since the last time she got dressed to go out with us to a show and she thought she might borrow some clip ons I had somewhere.The clip ons were all scratched up and bulky, nothing to look twice at and yet she yearned to wear something on her ears to finish up the look.  She asked me for permission to borrow the clip ons, I saved her from a gaudy mistake of my own, but asked her if she was feeling like she was ready to have her ears pierced. She acknowledged the fact that she had been thinking of it and was ready to take the step.

We were all there for her. She and I had already visited other Piercing Pagodas and asked questions about the procedure and care.  Olaia felt informed and ready to continue. All she knew was that she wanted us all there: her Daddy’s hand to hold and squeeze and Mommy and her 3 younger brothers for morale.  We chose 14K studs with the stone that represented the month on which our little treasure was born.  She was so brave. She clenched her fist, squeezed her Daddy’s hand and grimaced quietly. She then asked for a break and took several deep breathes and let out short nervous laughs. Then came the second peircing and it was done. Our daughter asked me how they looked. I reminded her that she was beautiful without the earings and she is just as beautiful now. Earings were barely there, offset by her natural sparkle and honey hair.

For a second I thought in silence of all the other important moments when she once again would ask me "Mami how do they look?" My heart was heavy with sadness as I wasted the present fretting about the rapid onslaught of the future. Then Olaia added, "Mami, now maybe we can share earings, wont that be fun."  Anything with my darling baby would be fun and my heart danced as I thought of a whole slew of new gigles and talk between my baby and I.