When I was still in grad school, was that only last year? Someone asked me if Moo said ‘love you’ yet.

The answer was no. The asker, had four kids, all of whom had said this phrase very early. I became overly obsessed with not caring about the whole thing. (Noticing a personality trait?)

Logically I know my baby loves me. He doesn’t know how not to. Yet. But I started tossing out “I love you a lot more” Or maybe I started noticing when I said it more. Some people say the phrase it self is overused but I don’t think it can be when it comes to your children.

My heart often feels like it is going to burst with how much I love them. I still wake up in the middle of the night and go upstairs to kiss and snuggle them a little bit.

While they’ll still let me.

Since that conversation, over a year ago, I’ve realized that it’s not important whether he tells me he loves me or not. What’s important is that he knows I love him. In, our everyday life of playing with trains, running the lake and playing at the playground, picking up toys, making bread and reading Curious George goes to the Baseball game, over and over and over again it’s important that I teach him not just where the toys go….but that I love him.

One night this week I carried a bundle of tired boy (not baby anymore) up the stairs to his room and as I deposited him in his fort/bed, I said. “I love you, baby.”

And nonchalantly he patted my cheek and said knowingly, “you love me.”

Yes.

I do.