it's your un-adult-erated
toothless open mouthed smile
the way your little froggy tree trunk legs
kick
how you've learned to lean in
toward your spoon
seeing your little lower lip quiver
and two of the tiniest tears trail down your cheeks
the sound of your voice
coming from the other room
slowly
inCREASING
in VOLUME
scream-ering just
for the sheer pleasure of it
then dying away
to a babble of vowels and
tongue induced syllables
filled with L sounds
the way you reach purposefully
and miss completely
flexing your fingers in surprise
that they didn't do what you wanted
or the way you grab
your own hands
and quickly
draw them to your mouth
simultaneously exploring
the soft wet surfaces
along with the firm tapers and kinks
of your fingers
your "yuck" face whenever you taste something new
the press of your downy head
as you curl sweetly into my shoulder
trusting and limp
your fingers tangled in my shirt
every audible breath
a soothing reassurance of warmth
causing me to press kisses against you
sighing thankfully
that you're mine