Today was a good day.

Every couple of months or so Jack goes through a very mommy-centric phase. My normally happy, independent boy becomes horrified if I think of leaving his presence for any amount of time, for any reason. I can't fix a cup of coffee in the morning, use the bathroom, answer the front door, or run upstairs to get something that's been forgotten without ear-piercing, frantic  screaming. This goes on All.Day.Long. While I love that we have a great attachment, it can be draining. He's also beginning to test his independence and limits. Taking something away from him results in an arched back and a scream. He's in the place where he is learning to test, but doesn't yet understand consequences so it's hard. Don't get me wrong, I don't have any illusions that discipline later will be easy, but I'm sometimes at a loss for what to do.

I love being a mom. It's the best time of my life. But there are those days that I feel challenged beyond knowing what is the right thing to do.

But today, today was a good day. Jack and his Daddy played this morning and then took a boy's trip to Home Depot to get a few things for the house. Look how cute he is in his hat.

Then, at naptime, which has been a struggle recently, Jack drifted to sleep easily in my arms, and when I came in to check on him, this was the sight I saw. And yes, I risked it to get this sweet picture. And while it wasn't a long nap, it was a peaceful one.