Good morning

My huge belly has made it hard to sleep during the night. Each time I roll over I feel sharp aches and pains.  The morning comes too soon. I barely squint my eyes open to kiss Jeff goodbye and then go back to sleep. A pitter-pattering of feet tell me Tave is awake. Early, early, early. But he climbs into bed with me and snuggles right up to my back. I turn over so I can see his face and he gives me a smile with those two fingers still in his mouth. "Good morning, buddy. You okay sleeping for a little bit more?" I ask. "Yup." is his response.  So I close my eyes and quickly fall back asleep, again.
5 minutes later I feel a tap, tap, tap. Tave is poking me in the arm.  "Mom, mom, mom" (until I open my eyes).
"What's up, bud?"
"I love you. You're my best mom ever." My heart melts. Really, how can I be mad that my sleep is interrupted for that.
He snuggles even closer and I close my eyes again. Oh man, I am so tired in the mornings.
Tave stays with me like this and every so often he rubs my arm, or plays with my hair, or rubs my back. Each only lasts for a minute or so. But they are his sweet way of trying to help me sleep.
A little bit later I hear another voice.... "Mooom, mom, mom, mom, mooooom" from Ryder's room.
This kiddo is a 7 ON THE DOT alarm clock.  
Tave JUMPS up. "Mom, can I go play with Ryder"
"Sure, thanks Tavester."
Tave's sweet words to his brother warm my heart and pretty soon I hear them playing. Tave has thrown books, toys, and whatever Ryder asks for into the crib. Sometimes this lasts for 2 minutes, most often 10 minutes, and on a few rare days an entire half hour.
However long it lasts, when Ryder is ready to get out of bed he will call to me: "Mom, mom, all done. ALL DONE!!"
I roll my achy body out of bed, and hobble into his room.  (mornings are really hard  right now, I really really hurt in lots of places). Ryder and Tave both grin up at me and I give them  hugs.  We open the curtains and let the sunshine in.  I close Weston's door so he can sleep in until he's ready to get up.  He's my sleeper.  He loves it. About half the time he'll sleep in for another 20 minutes or so. The other half of the time, he will come racing into Ryder's room the minute he hears both brothers are in there together. I love that. When all three of them are talking and playing and laughing together. Those sweet moments in the morning are such a perfect start to the day.
After I get him out of bed, Ryder brings me a book.  I sit on the floor to read it.  The boys try to cram into my lap (it doesn't work) and Ryder keeps trying to scoot back to get more comfortable, but there is nowhere to go...his baby brother in my belly is taking up the room. It's pretty funny, though, and after a few tries, I move him over to the side. Then we all  read stories together.
It is simple. And  not anything extraordinary. But to me, our mornings are magical.
I love the cuddles with Tave. The sweet words. How happy and excited they are to see each other and me.  I love hearing each of them say 'good morning' and their answers to my questions of "how did you sleep last night?" and "did you have any dreams?"
Someday, I will get enough sleep at night. I will not have an achy, tired, pregnant body keeping me in bed, and my kiddos won't always be my alarm clock (and snooze button!)
But for right now, what we have is perfect.
And I don't want to forget it.