Sleepy Smile

This weekend was my annual girls' trip which was a blast!  We decided to go to Dallas this year since Sallie, Sophia, and Lily all live there.  The weather was practically perfect and we had a great time eating, eating, and talking.  I'm so glad the girls instilled this trip a few years ago and that we have made it a priority to get together just the girls once a year. 
however...this was a three night adventure which was also the LONGEST time I've been away from my sweet angel!  Because of my job there have been plenty of nights away or even a few days where I've not been able to see her awake but I've at least seen and kissed her sweet cheeks.  So I knew being away this long was going to be so much fun with Sallie and the girls, but I also knew it would be difficult.
Lord have mercy I didn't realize how much I would miss her!  As a mother, your body will physically ache when you are not with your child.  A friend recently quoted  Elizabeth Stone who sums it up best, “To have a child is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Yep, that's pretty much the way it feels.
I can handle it for 12 hours, probably even 24 hours without wanting to break down...but 72 hours was excruciating on that final plane ride back to her!  When my mom rolled up to the Hartford-Jackson curb I was ecstatic to hop in and squeeze those baby cheeks.
Abney was sound asleep.
How could this be?!  I had strategically planned my flight to be during nap time so that when I landed she'd be wide awake and ready to play with me for a few hours before bed time. :(  Sigh.
We began the ride home and I sat quietly in the back staring lovingly at my sweet baby girl.  Admiring how beautiful she is and marveling at how much she had grown while I was away.  I swear it was 2 or 3 inches...
As I was gazing at her with a huge grin on my face she began opening her eyes some in her sleep. One of those moments where she's still sleeping but she has her eyes open.  She briefly looked at me and then she smiled.  This huge goofy grin in her sleep.  She smiled, closed her eyes and snoozed with a smile on her face.
Never been happier or felt more special in my entire life.
I love you Abney Rae.