7 years of Charly Painter

When Charly was 2 weeks old, I held her over my shoulder after nursing her to sleep. As we rocked together I burned us into that moment. The feel of her soft downy hair under my palms as I stroked her hair, the milky baby smell that newborns possess, the feel of her little head nuzzling in my neck, the sound of her heart beat, the rhythm we were in, the exact lighting in the room, the direction the chair was facing, the colors of the clothes hanging from the newly placed hooks on the wall, the details, every single one of them that could be collected in the flash of a second..all burned so deeply into that moment, that I never left. We talk about it often, usually when I tell her how big she is and how unbelievable it is to watch someone grow into the world. She's 7 years old today. I am so proud of who she is. She is a happy, talented, beautiful soul who teaches me every day how to keep the magic that adults usually toss out in favor of "reality". What a gift she is, happy birthday beauty!