Waist not, want not.

I've lost something. It's my waist. If you find it, please return it to me immediately. I can be found in India at plot no. 7, road no. 3 in a house with green trim.

Oh wait a sec....I think I've found it after all.

There it is. It's laying in the crib, sucking its thumb and fast asleep. Oh, and there it is again. It's growing one tooth and now a second. It's rolling over and sputtering through it's lips and staring with intensity at the windy day. It's cuddling into me, cuddling into dad, splashing in the bath tub, reaching for the keyboard, crying for attention and smiling when I come close again. From the car seat, it's turning around to see daddy and reaching out for him. It's grabbing my face and sucking on my cheekbone saying "I love you, I love you, come closer and closer still."

I remember the days when my waist first went missing. I missed it back then over those nine months. I still miss it. But today as I look into the crib, and feel him pulling my hair, and sense his stare while chatting with Ben, and hear his cry as he is left to nap, I'm reminded exactly where my waist is. And in the great scheme of life, I'm pretty okay with that.

Oh, my sweet darling boy. You've taken my waist and with it my heart. And I most definately don't want that back.