Early morning cuddles with a happy 10-month-old who can’t stop reaching for my face as I nurse her. Then, later, Cheerios being stuffed into the mouth of that same happy 10-month-old. A quiet house with the exception of happy squeals intermittently sounding off between mouthfuls of Cheerios and yogurt. A cup of coffee with milk (for me, not the baby who wakes up happy and alert every single morning). A homemade cranberry scone dipped into the coffee. A spontaneous wave to none other than me accompanied by a cheerful, “Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii….” More happy squeals when I wave back. A really happy squeal when I share a bite of the scone (sans the coffee) with a little mouth that opens wide like that of a hungry baby bird. Then a pudgy finger pointing right at me and a sound slipping out of a sticky, yogurty mouth that sounds a whole lot like, “Mama.”