The Sweet Smile of Sleep

I think one of my most favorite times lately is when Nathaniel falls asleep. The gentle shwushing of the waves outside, the rhythmic pattern of his breathing, the slight nuzzling he does into my armpit just before his eyes close for good...it's a magical moment. It took me a good long while to finally figure out how to put him to sleep so that he'll stay asleep but one of my favorite "tricks" is to wait for the "sleep-smile." Once he has given me at least two of these smiles, I know that his mind is now in a happy place, dreaming the dreams of babies- warm breastmilk, strong arms, and loving kisses. That's when I can ever so slowly pull my arm from behind his head and make the silent retreat to the living room for a few blissful moments with my husband before we join Nathaniel for sleep. This picture is actually quite old...taken in his first few weeks, but it shows the sleep smile like no other. Doesn't it make you just want to curl up in the arms of someone you love too?