Owen, Watermelon, and that cute round head

You know when people say that their children are almost delicious to them? Like they want to eat them up? I never understood that till I had my own kids. And then I wanted to eat them too.
Well, not literally.
But there are times when the kids give me a hug or they’re sitting on my lap and I just want to cover their cheeks in kisses. I want to squeeze them and never let go. I just can’t get enough of their little bodies! And I’ve realized that a lot of it has to do with their unique scent.
I remember when Lucy was little, she had a certain smell to her. Not the powdery baby smell but her own personalized Lucy smell. It was probably a mix of her own body fragrance combined with the laundry detergent on her clothes. But it was delightful. And I loved breathing it in. Over time I couldn’t smell it anymore. Even now it’s hard for me to pick up the scent on her busy 5-year-old body.
But Owen’s still got it. It’s fading…but it’s there. And I don’t want it to end!

So what does the scent of a child have to do with red watermelon?
Well, not a whole lotta….except that I found these photos buried deep in my iPhoto,
…and every time I see the back of Owen’s head it just makes me smile. I love that head! And his skinny little neck. Do you see why I want to smoother him with affection?
Last summer I cut into this watermelon and was mesmerized by it’s ruby red color. And since I like taking pictures of fruit I wanted to take shots of this one before we ate it. I walked away to get my camera and came back to find Owen hovering over the melon.

Who can blame him?
So Owen became my photo subject, right along with the watermelon.

Seeing these photos again remind a) how much Owen loves watermelon and b) how I long for the days of summer. Now that spring is here, the watermelon days are coming soon.
And then there will plenty of stuffed faces and drippy lips.
Bowls filled with summer fruit and not enough time to eat it (before it goes soft)
There’ll be lots of this:
and this:
and hopefully more of this.
Oh Owen, how I love your little face. I know that one day your baby smooth skin will have teenage flaws. You’ll smell like 2 locker rooms of sweat. And your braces will constantly have a popcorn kernel stuck near the bicuspid (though I would have told you not to eat popcorn with braces on. Guess that means you’ll stop listening to my advice too).
But for this moment in time I’ll keep breathing you in.
till the watermelon is packed up and we’ve eaten it all.
Don’t grow up too fast little guy.

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