Suddenly He's Seven

I'm not exactly sure when it happened. Somewhere between zero and yesterday - my boy turned seven.
How did this happen? I suppose my own mother wonders the same thing, how is her little girl 40 already? And how old, in turn, are the two of US suddenly then if he's seven?
I remember every minute of the day he was born including the ones I slept, half watching the Godfather trilogy in a drugged stupor.
But what I was thinking about most, last night as we snuggled into bed together at the end of the day (one of his birthday requests) was seeing his face for the very firsy time. I remember knowing him instantly, this was mine. There was no pain I wouldn't endure, no path I wouldn't walk to protect him. Every instinct in me rose up as I pulled him close and kissed him.

Last night as he dozed off with his head on my arm, and his face went slack with sleep.....I saw him again. That new baby who first won me over with a look of incredulous confusion.

I held him tight and the two of us dreamt together. It was a wonderful night.