Page 49 of Isn't She Lucky

I lower to my knees and rest my head against her stomach and say, “Good morning, Amos,” I say, talking to my boy. I’ve made it a habit of talking to him the same way I did when Giada was pregnant with Amaya. “Has he been moving?”

“Yeah. Approaching seven months, I’m sure he’s going to be even more active like Amaya was.”

Standing up again, I ask, “And what are you doing in here cooking?”

“I wanted to cook for my babies. That’s all.”

I take a biscuit off the oven sheet and take a bite. “Man…I love that you know how to cook,” I mumble with a mouth full.

“Can I have one, Mommy?”

“Yes, sweetheart. I’m fixing you a plate right now.”

Giada picks up a plastic plate along with a plastic spoon and fork for Amaya, prepares her plate, chopping up the already scrambled eggs and putting some grits on her plate. When she was pregnant with Amaya, she stopped eating meat and hasn’t eaten any to this day. She also doesn’t give Amaya any meat. I’m the only carnivore in the house.

After plates are made and we’re all sitting at the table, I pray over this meal and after she says ‘amen’ Amaya then says, “Let’s eat,” as she picks up the biscuit and stretches her little mouth open as wide as she can.

Giada chuckles. “She is her father’s daughter.”

“Yeah, she is.” I eat some bacon and ask, “So, what’s on tap for today?”

“You know my mother is coming to pick up Amaya today.”

“Yay! Grandma!” Amaya cheers.

My mother-in-law spoils her rotten. Whenever she leaves with her, she always comes back with those huge stuffed animals you find at county fairs. I have no idea where she finds them. It was tough for me to let Giada’s mother back into my universe after what she did, but I’m not one to hold grudges. Besides, I gotmy woman now, and I would never keep my children away from their grandmother.

Giada says, “So, it looks like mommy and daddy will get to spend some quality time.”

“And you better believe I’m going to make the most of every minute,” I say, then wink at her.

I take a moment to truly appreciate where I am in life. I feel like people don’t do that enough – appreciate their lives, their family, what they have, and the peace that surrounds them. I’m grateful for this – that I live a life where I can give back and help others through the Hungry No More Foundation. Where I can work, have assistants, and set my own schedule so I can have time for what’s most important to me – my little family who I love more than life.