A shrill scream rang out over the baby monitor. I glanced at the clock, 2:14am… But I was up, because this wasn’t his normal whiny sleeping whimper. This was a pain cry. As I entered his room, he sat up, alligator tears already running down his face.
Teeth? (There is still one final molar waiting to cut through)
Gas? (Could be – he did have a few different foods through out our day earlier)
Bump? (Possible, the confines of his crib seem smaller everyday)
Allergies? (Quite possible, did I remember to give him his inhaler before he went to bed? Was his sobbing hiccup-y breathing asthma related?) It could be any of these.
I picked him up and soothed him as his head lay in the crook of my shoulder.
He calmed down.
Back to bed, but the moment I laid him down, he started to scream.
I checked his diaper, pretty wet.
One squirmy crying diaper change later and his alligator tears were now flowing. He didn’t want up, he didn’t want down, he didn’t want bunny, he didn’t want his crib, he didn’t want to rock, he didn’t want to try Mommy’s bed, he didn’t want a baba, he fought me through Tylenol, he threw himself down, then reached up for me, then kicked when I picked him up.
I laid him down once again in his crib, and tried to let him settle back in to dreamland. But his cries got more intense.
I returned to his room, rubbed his back, patted his back, and rubbed it some more.
Finally through his hiccuping sob laden breaths he reached for me.
I grabbed his blanket and wrapped him up in it almost as if he was a new born, and together we sat and rocked, my cheek on his head, his hands clinging to my shirt, and my other hand repetitiously tapping his bottom. Scared to move or change positions in any way as if when I did the whole process might had to start all over again.
Memories for the first months after he was born filled my head.
Slowly the sobbing breaths subsided.
I stopped the tapping, his hands fell heavy and let go of my shirt.
He was sleeping.
And still I rocked like that for several more minutes. 
Nearly an hour had passed since he first woke crying.
As I looked down at the sleeping face of my little boy, who looked in this moment more like a baby then a boy, I realized it was mother’s day.
As silly as it sounds, I smiled realizing there is no other place I would rather be, then here now rocking my son.
3:11am, all is peaceful again.
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Oh Emily, this post had me crying. What a sweet sweet little guy you have and this just makes me realize even more how awesome Moms are. You are such an amazing Mom and I hope you had such a great day! <3
Thanks Melissa! I hope you had a great day too! 😛
This brought tears to my eyes! I get so few moments like this with Carter now that he’s not a baby anymore. It makes me happy yet so sad that he’s growing up 🙁 Glad you got this precious time with him on Mother’s Day!
They just grow way too quickly! I wish I could slow times at these times. Hope you had a wonderful mom’s day too!! 🙂
Such a beautiful post Emily. Squishy is blessed to have such a wonderful mommy, and you are blessed to have such a wonderful boy.
Thank you – we are both pretty lucky to have such awesome boys!! 🙂
Beautiful post Emily! There really is nothing more lovely than being a Mum – even at 3am!!
Thank you Meg. You are right – sometimes in the thick of things we forget that. But it is moments like this that make it all worth it. 🙂 Happy Mum’s Day!! 🙂
This brought tears to my eyes. Those quiet tender moments melt my heart. Happy Mothers Day!
Thank you Kimberly – I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day too!!
He has a caring loving mother that will always be right by his side. I felt so bad when he cried so much.
My little man is just 3 months old. He’s my first and all my friends have told me to cherish every moment of cuddle time I can get. And I indeed try to! All else can wait. I can be late for church, not have time to clean, miss a phone call, etc…but I only have a short time where my little man can be cuddled in my arms and I intend to get every moment I can! (even if it is at 1:26AM as it was this AM) 🙂 Thank you for sharing your story!
What a sweet post…I enjoyed reading it..I hope he is feeling better :).I am now following you….please stop by and say hi http://www.areyouamom.com
Thanks,
Maureen
Aww! This post made me smile. Beautiful! 🙂
Ok I must say I got teary-eyed too!! I loved the way you wrote this. I know EXACTLY how you felt, my arm is currently stuck in the “scared to move or change positions in any way” position! 🙂
That is beautiful. I know very well what you mean. Soothing your baby or child to sleep is one of the special jobs only a mother knows how to do and we get priceless memories out of it.
I stumbled you, I hope you’ll visit me when you get a chance too! – Musings From a SAHM
Awww, how beautiful. Your son is adorable! Following you from the Follow Me, Chickadee blog hop. Would love it if you LIKE my page: http://www.facebook.com/flightlessgoose
I love this! Sometimes our babes just want their mamas 😉 What a special Mother’s Day moment!
That’s beautiful. I love it!
I stumbled you. My post is http://booksyourkidswilllove.blogspot.com/2011/05/beauty-queens.html
It’s the Most scary precious thing being a mother right?
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I stumbled you, please stumble me. Also, Thanks for attending Stumble Tumble Tuesday. Please come back next week!
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This post is so well written… Put a tear in my eye.
Just night before last, my little one {she’s 9 months} woke up unexpectedly, crying her little head off! Very different than usual. She has a blocked tear duct too, has had it since she was born, and she cried so much the poor little eye swelled shut, poor baby 🙁
I went through the same things… Grabbing for momma then wanting to be let go, pulling on my shirt, and the cheek against her little head as I rocked her and calmed her down.
There are so many things about motherhood that are unique and different for every mother and every baby…. But it’s funny how there are also SO many things that are the same… 🙂