Laughter

If there was one word to sum up my mornings as a parent, it would be laughter.

Our mornings currently begin between 5 to 6 a.m., my daughter, River, wakes up to eat, then falls back asleep for a short time. I use this nap as an opportunity to quickly brush my teeth and shower. I am usually able to jump back in bed right as she is waking up - which is often an ordeal.
Sometimes she kicks, flails and grunts for minutes, sometimes she wakes up crying, and every so often she just opens her eyes.

Whatever her wake up method is, once she is completely awake she is nothing but smiles and giggles. We typically spend an hour laying around talking, laughing, tickling, reading, and enjoying each other. The cats join us in bed for skritches and to inform me that I am late — again — on delivering their breakfast. Sam, my dog, plays with our feet and wriggles around the bed, enjoying our morning routine, too.

By 9 a.m. breakfast is complete, and River and Sam know what is coming next - our morning walk. The tell-tale clue is me singing the "Adventure Time" theme song, with the names of Jake the dog and Fin the human changed to Sam and River. At first, pushing a stroller with one hand and hanging on to my chaotic 50 lb. dog with the other was a little daunting. But after a few months we have the routine down and I can even push River up hills and over curbs one handed.

Our walks are not simple strolls in the neighborhood. Sam wants to sniff everything and so we follow. Over the curb, around trees, behind bushes, next to the pond — our stroller has seen it all. River's first few weeks of walks were used for napping, but now she takes everything in.

I point out birds and sounds, describe our surroundings and give a commentary on Sam's behaviors. These mornings are my treasure.