can you feel the love?

We turn over in the middle of the night, shift and flop and find our positions in the not-quite-queen size berth. And before he fades back into deep REM sleep again, he says, "Mama, I love you more than the south and north stars."

My boy has been so full of love lately. He's always been a cuddly, lovey guy with me, but these days he tells me he loves me 80 times a day. And in the most poetically 5-year old ways too. "Mama I love you bow to stern." "Mama, I love you so much I just can't get enough of you."

And it makes me happy and wistful all at once. Because I know one day this skinny legged, scraggly haired little love bug will be older and WILL have enough of me. There will be a day when he won't so freely express what he feels. And I'll think back to this love fest and wonder. It's such a sweet phase, I just don't want it to end. My brother tells me (and he should know) that mama's boys run in our family and it won't necessarily end. But still, I save all of the little notes, so I won't forget.

And I try to savor the now rather than worrying about the then. And I feel like the luckiest mama in the world to have this sweet little soul so close to me, so freely expressing himself, so sweetly trusting me with his everything.