Up Since 4:30

When I was getting my hair highlighted today, I complained, "Ugh, I've been up since 4:30."

And what I meant was, "My son woke up screaming for me at 4:30. He probably had a bad dream. I mumbled something to my husband, and he said, 'I'll get him.' But little man wanted me. His mommy. And that screaming toddler was brought into the darkness of our bedroom, and plopped into my arms and down under the covers with me. And then, instantly, he stopped crying.

He nuzzled into my side and immediately fell asleep. My exhausted, ticked-off-that-it's-4:30 self felt an energizing burst of joy that I could be a calming presence, a security to my son like no one else could.

And then that sweet angel, taking after his momma (look, honey, I'm fessing up), snored loudly right into my face from 4:30 until 7:00--making it impossible for me to actually fall asleep. And so I nuzzled and snuggled and oscillated back and forth between feeling warm-fuzzy-momma love and typical-nerve-fraying-momma frustration.

And when we all stumbled into the living room, wondering what Mommy was going to make for breakfast, there was that little angel, tugging at my finger, saying, 'Come here--yogurt? Come here.' I followed the toddler with his teddy bear jammies (who I would place in time-out about six times later in the day) into the kitchen for strawberry yogurt.

So, when I say I'm exhausted and that I started my day at 4:30, what I'm really saying is that I have the greatest job in the world. And I'm blessed beyond belief. And it feels indescribably wonderful to be the comfort that your child needs."