My dear sleeping baby,

There is something about watching you sleep that melts my heart and gives me an overwhelming sense that you have filled some mystical void in my life. You are growing to be such a big boy and every day I am reminded of that. With each day, you grow and will never be the same as you were the day before. I wish I could say that I am okay with that, but its not entirely true. I want you to grow up. I want you to learn new things. I want you to make mistakes (but let's limit these, shall we?). I want you to experience the world and then figure out a way to change it. But, I want you to be my little baby too. I want you to forever fit perfectly into my arms and the crook of my neck. I want you to forever call me "ma ma" with such conviction that I know without a doubt that I am all you want in that moment. I want to have my cake and eat it too.

It is baffling to me that our relationship is one of constant discoveries and realizations. Before you were born and were still my small baby that I was carrying, I knew nothing about you. I knew I loved you, but didn't know how or why. When you were born, I loved you even though I had only known you a few seconds. Moments. Minutes. Hours. We were strangers that were bonded with a genuine love for one another that cannot be explained. And now I am learning so much about you. What you like. What you don't like. What you think is funny. How you like to be laid down before you fall asleep. And how you prefer to run your fingers through my hair and pat my back when you get sleepy.

I want you to grow up because I love finding these things out about you. But, I want time to be on my side and creep by so I can soak up every drop of your babyhood.

Love,
Mom