My Sleepy One

By: Allison Norris

Fervently sucking on his orange pacifier, his eyes begin to roll back, further and further until he is no longer stimulated by dangling toys and is fast asleep. Dreaming about how much his mom loves him and brown silver dollars that produce his favorite food, his tiny finger twitches and he is human.

A small body with little control, perfectly shaped and gentle. How innocent and special he is.

Each breath he takes reminds me that I am the luckiest mother on the planet and that there is nowhere else I would rather be. His gummy smile and squinted eyes make me feel like my heart is actually expanding in my chest and before long, I will be one huge heart walking around pulsing, quite possibly grossing people out.

One arm straight up and the other placed above his fragile skull, he is relaxed and I can examine his tiny fingernails and imagine what story each deep line on his palm will tell.

He jerks awake and lets out a cry. My face is the first thing he sees and he is soothed with a soft shhh-ing. His exploring hand feels around my face until he finds his spot, curled into my neck where it is warm and safe. His eyes close again and I know I have five more minutes of watching him calmly rest.