In a Moment

There are a few secret moments in my day to day life with my girls that I want to be selfish with, but they're too good not to share.  Everyone has their favorite moments.  Maybe for you it's when you're on a walk with your pup and you're in step with one another and your breathing relaxes.  Maybe it's that "Aha!" moment when your dog learns a new trick and you find all your patience and hard work coming to fruition.  Maybe it's that moment when you hear a crack of a branch in the woods and you stop breathing to listen alongside your dog, the two of you ready as one being, to face any impending challenge.  Maybe it's just that moment when your pooch figures out that diarrhea on your bathroom floor is a better option than just inches away on your bedroom carpet.

My moment happens twice a week.  These are the mornings when I get out of bed after Matt, my loving partner of 10 years.  I hear his alarm going off (eight trillion times, or so it seems in the sleepy haze of morning) and he finally drags himself out of bed.  No sooner is he off the bed, but I feel Nyxie's paws land on the bed beside me.  I get a customary greeting lick on the cheek or elbow, and then she snuggles in against Matt's still-warm pillow.  She faces me and tucks her long nose into the blanket.  If I'm tucked in tight, she'll slide her head against mine but on the outside of the blankets.  If I've left space around my head, she'll burrow her snout into the space between my skin and the warm blankets.  The warmth of her breathing lulls me back to sleep.  We'll snuggle like this until one of us gets hot, or my own alarm sounds off.  

There is no feeling sweeter than this, no moment more tender.  Along with those other moments I mentioned, all of which are on my Top Trillion Things I Love About Dogs list, this is the one that brings it all home.

It's these moments strung together that define Love.

First Light

The title of this post is misleading.  Many of you will think it refers to those first dim moments as the sun tips the scales in the sky, vanquishing the darkness.  In most cases, you'd be right.  Not today.  I'm referring to the first light that my eyes take in before I realize it's way too early to be awake.  If I stir, or even sigh, I'll give myself away.  Yawns and scratches are right out.  I'm bookended by two very observant creatures.

On my days off, I have to dupe them with all the acting ability I can muster to simply stay in bed undisturbed for just a few minutes longer.  Sometimes I get a whole extra hour!  Rarely, though.  Arwen will be strewn about somewhere on the floor, usually spilling luxuriously out of her bed.  Nyxie will have moved to Daddy's pillow next to me.  This will happen before Daddy has actually made it to the bathroom.  She keeps an eye on "her spot" as he struggles out of bed, like a canine pillow pirate.  Arwen will take her time with moving.  She prefers the foot of the bed, closest to the fan.  (Did I mention that it was 104 degrees today?  Concrete is cracking, folks...)  She'll sprawl out, crowding Nyxie, who loves being near Big Sissy.

I'll feel their movements, the jumps onto the bed, the circling and settling.  Nyxie will tuck her snoot under my arm or pillow.  It's a long nose, chilliness happens...And then we'll have a few more minutes, maybe an hour or two (even more rarely) of the softest, cuddliest sleep imaginable.  The stillness will break as their tummies take over, breakfast calling and The Giver of All Good Things needs to shake a leg.  These are some of my favorite moments.

But I've fooled them!  I got my extra sleep, and they had no idea I was awake!  I don't think they saw me peeking at them...or maybe, they look forward to sleeping in as much as I do.