Morning with Leah

A Morning with Leah

A Morning W ith Leah
In the morning, I try to rush against the clock to relax in my recliner chair, drink a hot cup of coffee, and read the morning newspaper. I know that I have a limited time before I hear the cry coming from the baby monitor. The cry is from baby Leah. Leah is a rumbustious seventeen-month’ old. She has brown eyes and brown, straight hair that falls just below her shoulders. Since she hasn’t been exposed too much sunlight, her skin is silky white, and she’s close to two feet tall.
After eating oatmeal for breakfast and playing with her toys, she will grab the remote and point to the television. I give in to her wishes and turn the television on to watch a “Fresh Beat Band” episode. When I put her on the couch, she will pat the couch next to her for me to sit with her. Even though I have many chores to do, I always put them on hold to sit with her and watch television. With my arms around her, I sit with her in my lap. I can smell the aroma of oatmeal that she wiped on her clothes. I give her numerous hugs while sitting there, because I love smelling the top of her head. I guess it’s a mixture of her shampoo and body oils.
After she watches her show, I take her upstairs for a nap. I lay her down in her crib with her pacifier and blanket. She rolls over and puts her head face down into the pillow. Wanting me to sing to her, she shakes her body. I sing her “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” I stroke her hair and swipe my fingers across her neck as I sing to her. She closes her eyes and falls asleep.
Leah has two older sisters, Emily and Julia, who were born while I was in the Navy. I did not get the opportunity to stay home with them. I retired two years ago, and I was planning on taking it easy while I went to college. Well, I got a big surprise. Her name was Leah. As luck would have it, I have the opportunity to be a stay at home dad. Besides the cleaning, I enjoy every minute that I get to spend with...