The Leg Hug

This is the moment I've been waiting for my entire mommy career- maybe my whole life. It was everything I dreamed it would be and more! The leg hug. All this time I've been hugging Niall, it's been a one way street. He might grab onto me, but it's only because I'm holding him. This leg hug was fully intentional...

He was in the Johnny jump up- his new favorite contraption- swinging around and bouncing up and down. I usually just try to nudge him aside to get by because the johnny jump up blocks the whole doorway. (Our house has turned into a Chuck E Cheese, with no room left for anything except baby stuff). So I was slowly squeezing by and gently pushed Niall over a little bit when he grabbed my leg with both hands and rested his head against it. (That's my leg in the pic)

I know it sounds like I'm over analyzing, but it really seemed genuine. He looked up at me and smiled (so of course I grabbed the camera and started snapping pictures). I can't even describe the feeling of being hugged by your child. It's so different from any other hug you've ever had. The only way I can explain it is that I felt so incredibly special. It's pretty cool being needed by someone like him :)

When I was looking down at him, I couldn't help but remember the time I thought I was hugging my dad's leg at Mama Lucia's when I was probably about 4. My dad was at the counter ordering some pizza and he was wearing khakis. Well, I'm sure that pretty much every guy who walks in the place is wearing khakis, so I accidentally ran up and clung onto some other man's leg. He really didn't know what to do and it took me a few seconds to realize that this was not the leg I was supposed to be hugging. When I looked up at him and screamed, it must have really not looked good to the rest of the bystanders. Poor guy, he was just trying to get some pizza!