Mothers (and Fathers) Will Protect Their Babies.

Last night we had a crazy wind storm.

Dashing Boy and I had just gotten securely, safely inside our house after being out when I remembered something important.

The little birds nest in our front tree. Perfect and sweet with 5 blue eggs nestled inside. How were the babies coping in this storm? Had they come out of their shells yet? Would they be ok?

I ran out the front door and peeked inside. I couldn't see anything. It was so dark, the wind was howling, and the little tree was swaying back and forth.

"Do you think they are ok? Do you think they're still in there?" I asked Dashing Boy.

And then I ran inside to find a little light. Nothing too bright, just something to check with quickly.

Just like Dashing Boy is very gentle and gingerly whenever he feels our baby moving around in my stomach ("Don't push hard!" he'll say. "We don't want to hurt him!") he was protective of the little birds too. He wondered if shining a light was really the best idea.

But I was already in action. I had grabbed my cell phone (often a handy flashlight) and headed back out to the nest. I opened it up, held it close. And I realized my face was about two inches away from Mama Bird. She was there, of course, protecting her little babies.

It was a beautiful sight. There she was, all ruffled out, covering her little ones as the wind tossed the tree back and forth, back and forth. She was with them, weathering the storm.

I knew I could go back inside and sleep peacefully. Mother bird had it covered. And mothers know just how to make the world safe for their babies when things are windy and rough.

As I was falling asleep, feeling the movements of our little baby inside me, I thought about the wind. Thought about it howling over our house. I thought about how we were safely nestled inside our home and our baby was safely nestled inside me. No idea of the storm that was outside. Safe and protected.

My mom knows just the ways to make me feel safe and loved in all types of life weather. And now I am a mom. It is crazy, exciting, and sometimes scary to think about.

But one thing I know for sure. I love our son so much, and will be there for him wholeheartedly. Like a Mama Bird.

Baby birds this morning