I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words....

As a mother, one of my most treasured times during the day is morning nap time. Just an hour and a half after waking from her (not so uninterrupted) night's rest, Eden is ready to go back to sleep for another hour or two. With the exception of Sundays, Eden and I stay in our pajamas, and delay getting ready for the day until after she wakes from her morning nap. And while there are probably a million other things I could accomplish during this time, on most mornings, we curl up on my bed, and take that nap together. Go ahead, you can call me lazy, I don't mind.
I never really sleep during this time. Rather, I read, spend time on Facebook, twitter, etc., browse blogs and articles by other mothers, or simply just stare at my beautiful, sleeping, baby. This morning, I am blogging.
What I love most about this glorious time of rest, however, is not the long period in which Eden is actually asleep. It is, instead, those short moments just before she drifts. As her eyelids become heavier and her breathing deeper, she often takes one long, last look at her mother. Without making a noise, she studies my face, her bright, blue eyes searching mine. Her tiny hand, slowly moving, explores the features in which she sees. And it feels as if time is standing still.
This morning, during this precious moment of peace and timelessness, my eyes, locked with hers, began to tear. Never before had I so desperately desired to know another's thoughts as I did right then. Does she understand how much I truly love her? Does she know I would do anything in this world in order to protect her? Is it possible that she dreams about me, as I do her?
And all I could do was pray, "God, I have done nothing to deserve this little girl's love, but for whatever reason, you have entrusted me with her. So please give me the wisdom and ability to raise her in such a way that she will learn to love you and live for you in ways that are far beyond my comprehension. Thank you, Lord, for this completely undeserved gift."
And as she stirs, awakens, and (this time, not so quietly) looks me, once again, in the face, the words of the Elton John song that I sing to her every night pop into my head, "...yours are the sweetest eyes, I've ever seen."