I love my little chunkaroo.

Yes, that's one of a zillion nicknames I have for my little bunny (Ashlyn).  People will tell you that parenthood is amazing, that nothing beats it, that you will just *know* instantaneously what being a parent means as soon as you hold them in the hospital.  And I will agree with that to an extent, but I have found that my love for my daughter grows exponentially (at least!) by the day as I get to know her better.  When they're newborns, they are sweet because they're small and new and needy, but they don't light up the room with their smile.  They don't belly laugh through mouthfuls of pureed mango or stick their tongue out over their two baby teeth.  They don't reach for you when you stand over their crib in the morning, and they don't squeal with delight when you come home from work.  Ashlyn amazes me on a daily basis with her ability to explore and grasp new things (both tangibly and conceptually).  She is my new favorite hobby.

Tonight she fell asleep on Jeff's lap about halfway through her bottle.  She looked totally content with her rosy cheeks, green and brown flowered sleeper, long eyelashes, and little puckered mouth.  I took a few pictures of this innocence, and then carefully lifted her onto my shoulder.  Her head nuzzled into me and I hugged her even more tightly.  As I stood there, I thought I might explode from within with love.  I can't explain exactly how much love I have for this little girl, but the sheer amount is staggering.  She will be 8 months old next week, and I can only imagine what the next few weeks, months, and years will bring.  Yesterday at work I daydreamed about taking her to see London, one of my favorite places, when she's five years old.   Even though I know five wouldn't be the best age to travel 7 hours on a plane.  Even though she will probably have a very young sibling at that point, and we most likely won't be traveling over the Atlantic.

I just want to share everything with her.  I want to teach her and watch her experience life.  And life is too short to even begin to show her the whole world, which I want more than anything.