Smells

I just put Ella to bed a little bit ago, and I caught a whiff of dried slobber coming off of my shoulder. I turned my nose closer and pulled that part of my shirt up to take in a big sniff and told myself that I don't ever want to forget that smell. She just has the sweetest smell to her breath and drool! It's kind of like puppy breath, but better. I also realized that there are several other smells that I hope I never forget.
I love the smell of Elijah's head and hair. Even when it's dirty, it just has this distinctive "Elijah" smell that I could breathe in all day (although he let me know he was done with my cuddling the other day by telling me that superheros don't cuddle - who would've known!). Amazingly, I also hope I always remember how his faithful blanket smells. It has this dirty, musty smell that tells you that it has been everywhere Elijah has been over the last couple of years - even after it's been washed. I already have plans to adopt this much-loved blanket once (if) Elijah ever decides he's done with it. It's a pretty special blanket.
I can also remember the way Eveyn smelled. It may seem kind of strange for me to describe it, but it's what it is. She really had the very distinctive smell of a newborn baby that was never really given a bath. She never really got clean, so she had a somewhat strong, and a little bit sweet smell to her. I still love it and can still even smell it when I see her pictures and open the little box I have of her hospital items. A couple of weeks after she was born, I walked past a flowerbed that had been newly mulched/fertalized and strangely, it smelled just like Eveyn. Weird - but it makes me thankful that I might get to smell her again someday while walking past a flowerbed!
I don't know if other people are this way, but I depend very heavily on my sense of smell. It seems like almost everything I smell either reminds me of something, takes me back to another time in my life, or makes me hopeful of something to come. I think I could do without my sight or hearing, but if I couldn't bury my nose in Ella's neck, Elijah's head or Gavin's chest, I think I would lose a vital connection to them. It's an amazing thing to think about - what a cool thing God has given us to enjoy!