About six months ago we took Christian’s crib out of his room and replaced it with a queen mattress that we use as an impromptu guest bed. The thinking was that it would encourage Christian to start moving more, ideally rolling over. It has worked to a point. He is still not rolling over on his own but when I go get him in the morning he is often facing the opposite direction of that which he was put to bed. The only time this little project comes back to bite us is when he sleeps on a regular toddler mattress. When we have company, his bed, still being our guest bed, is commandeered by said visitor and Christian and Tessie have a sleep-over in her room. Since Christian is used to having a lot more room to move around he often wanders off the toddler mattress we place on the floor. My mom is up visiting and so last night the kids had one of these sleepovers.
As I have previously mentioned, the slightest noise made by my children will wake me from the deepest sleep. This morning I sat straight up in bed and was halfway down the stairs before I even realized I had heard Christian. I paused outside Tessie’s door and again heard Christian quietly cry for Mommy. I glanced at the clock before opening the door and saw the time. 5:26 am. Seriously? Sighing, I made my way in quietly so as not to wake Tes and then saw poor Christian. Only his head was still on the mattress and he had pushed all the pillows that had surrounded the mattress so that he was basically lying on the bare tile floor. I quickly scooped him up and took him out to the living room.
Despite the fact that I was mortified that my poor baby had been sleeping on the floor, I was exhausted and desperately wanted him to fall back asleep. I headed straight for the rocker and after wrapping him in a cozy blanket we rocked together. Christian was quiet, but wide awake for some time, looking around and then up at me. Finally, his eyes started to get heavy and I saw my chance for another hour of sleep approaching. This is where it got good.
As Christian’s breathing slowed, and his body melted in to mine, I leaned my head back on the rocker and closed my eyes. His little body was a wonderful, familiar weight on my chest, his hand softly touching my neck and his cheek, wet with drool, pressed against my shoulder. I soaked it up and relished it. I don’t have many moments of pure snuggle with my little guy any more. Even though he can’t get there himself, he is always wanting to be on the go. I know that my moments like this are numbered and so I held him tight and breathed him in. Just as I opened my eyes to sneak a peek at my gorgeous boy, he giggled in his sleep and grinned a sleepy, dreaming smile. I melted.
I never did get back to sleep this morning. I tried to lay down on the couch with Christian but he woke up asking for milk and a movie. Although I hadn’t had any coffee and normally I would have been a big sour puss, I just smiled at him and fulfilled all his wishes. He will be grown up in a flash and I will miss these precious moments. This morning at the crack of dawn I got to hold my son, peaceful and happy in my arms. No matter what else followed in my day, I started it with a moment of true beauty.
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