MAKE THE DAY SPECIAL, AGAIN

We were playing with the Little One the other day when The Wife turned and asked a question that I knew would be coming at some point.

Other than Graham Central Station ice cream, what do you want to do for your birthday?

Ah, yes. My birthday, which is today. For the last several years, I really have not looked forward to this day. It's not an age thing. Your age is just a number (for me, that number is 34 today). Turning a year older doesn't really bug me all that much. And I have to admit, I look forward to seeing a slew of happy birthday tidings from friends in the Facebook world. Let's face it, when people from all facets of your world take a brief moment to wish you happy tidings, it feels pretty darn cool.

My birthday - a source of true, unbridled excitement in younger years - has lost significant steam. It was always a special time for my mother and I, because her birthday is Oct. 20. Being one day apart meant years of getting to share something together.

If I could have one birthday wish...

When she passed away four years ago, that obviously changed. She's not here physically, and it's impossible for me not to think about that fact when this day rolls around. 

So when The Wife asked what I wanted for my birthday, I knew I wanted to do something that could take all other thoughts away, just for a little while. The Little One does that for me. 

When I get home from work, I want us to play with the Little One (who, by the way, is exactly two months old today - damn, time goes by so fast). When he gets tired and wants to go down for his evening nap, I want to let him sleep on my stomach until he wakes up.

It's my favorite thing to do these days. To him, my belly is a king-sized bed, and there is no better feeling than having him feel so content and comfortable that even a tiny baby snore or two sneaks out. Every once in a while, he'll sigh and smile with his eyes closed. 

It makes everything else in the world fade away just for a little while.