Sleepy little memories

Sometimes when Carter cries up in his room, he falls right back to sleep...and as excruciating as it is to wait it out, it is usually pretty clear whether he needs us or whether he is 3 minutes away from nodding off again. But oh, even those 3 minutes can feel like a lifetime, and I inevitably get a knot in my stomach and don't breathe quite right until he's sleeping soundly again. Tonight he fell asleep at around 8:15pm, and based on his normal schedule, he shouldn't be up again until 8:00am (with the potential for a quick snack around 4:30-5:00 am). But just as we were finishing a West Wing episode at 9:45, the red light on the monitor was beaming and the screen showed a very upset little man. I went upstairs to see what was going on- because it just wasn't the kind of cry you ignore- and I think he had some kind of nightmare (??). Anyway, I started rubbing his back and quietly singing a little, and he gradually started to settle down. He finally closed his eyes, sighed, wrapped both his little hands around my arm, and laid his cheek against my hand. Sometimes it hits me that I really am somebody's mommy, and I found myself just staring at that angelic face, praying I never forget these precious little moments. As I ever-so-sneakily loosened my hand from his grip (and promptly woke him right back up),  he rolled on his back, squinted up at me, and gave me a huge sleepy smile before passing out again.  And I melted. That little boy upstairs has absolutely stolen my heart!