little hands

eva tends to go to sleep around just after 8 and i go to bed the first time she wakes up to eat, around 12 or sometimes later. well, last night she woke up several times in the first few hours, but not to eat -- probably because she's doing some more intense teething. when this happens, i comfort her back to sleep by laying down facing her, and to verify that i'm still there once her eyes close, she reaches out to touch my face or my arm with one hand while she sucks the thumb of the other.

the third time she woke up, i stayed there with her. she reached out to touch my face (well, repeatedly bat at my face would be more accurate), but since i wanted to sleep as well, i put out my finger so she could grab ahold of it and know i was still there. the two of us fell asleep like that, face to face a few inches apart, with her little hand clutching mine.

then, this morning, i awoke to what has become the new routine. eva wakes up and begins to babble to herself, but my brain has taught me to mostly sleep through this. once she decides that i should wake up for real, she rolls to her side and starts touching my face (with what i am sure are intended as gentle touches, if only she had the motor control). as soon as i open my eyes, i'm greeted with a huge smile. not a bad way to wake up.

so i fell asleep and woke up to those sweet little hands. what could be better than that? i can't imagine sleeping under any other arrangement.