Two nights ago, something weird happened, just before sunrise.
I had been sound asleep, clutching Liam in my arms, or so I thought. But, as I gradually began to awake with the sounds of Liam's leg kicks, arm stretches, and happy squeaks, I began to realize that what I've come to know as his delightful "Good morning!" sounds were actually coming from the other side of the room.
Confused, I was certain that I had been holding him, and I was even more sure that I was still holding him in my arms. How, then, were his precious sounds coming from the other side of the room?
I was bewildered...and still groggy. As I waited for full consciousness to arrive, I clung lovingly to whatever was in my arms.
What I held in my arms was his exact length. What I held in my arms had a heartbeat, for I felt a faint pulse. It wiggled gently like he does, and it radiated a warmth.
There was a cotton blanket wrapped around the creature that I held in my arms. Now that I was more conscious, I was certain that Liam was in the Pack and Play which was just two feet from our bed. His sounds were more clear to me now. My heart was thrilled to know that he was safe.
So what, then, was I holding? My arms continued their motherly grip.
We don't have a cat. Our dog is much bigger. And I couldn't recall meeting anyone that was Liam's size the day before. What was I holding?
As the heartbeat continued, I carefully and slowly groped through the blanket in an attempt to touch the skin of the little creature that I was embracing and who was giving me warmth. But, as my hands searched, I began to get a bit creeped out. What on earth would I find?
Suddenly, the warm thing moved. This was not the gentle wiggle that I had been used to. It was a powerful, full-body thrash; and I was certain that the thing wanted to be out of my arms. Instinctively and protectively, I held on tighter until I could be sure that this small creature would be safe away from me. But who on earth was it?
The writhing continued. My hands searched feverishly, panicked that perhaps the blanket was inadvertently suffocating it. Finally, I made contact with the skin. It was warm and...unexpectedly hairy.
With a powerful whip, the creature shot out from within the blanket that had been in my arms.
And my annoyed husband took his arm back. :)
