There is nothing in the world like it. To just feel his hair and skin against yours, so soft and tender. His little body tucked against yours, as happy as you are to be close. It's not only a comfort to him, but to me. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with the feeling I get, I just want to stay in that place and time forever. It is pure happiness and love.

Every night that I get the rare chance to rock him a bit before putting him back to sleep, I remind myself that he's growing up. I know one day, not long from now, I won't be able to make it all better. There will be so much more in his life than a little teething that will cause him sadness or stress, I just hold him a minute longer, for all of those minutes when he's older that I won't be able to. When he's teased at school, or his heart is broken by a girl, or he's fired from a job. I comfort myself this way, as much as him. Because every time his heart will break or he will be upset about something, so will I- just as I am now. It reminds me of that quote: "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." (Elizabeth Stone)