Look Closely

Little white hairs stand out on his summer-tanned arms. One hand grips the ears of his beloved giraffe that had comforted him since babyhood. Both hands are folded under his chest. His small, long legs are splayed out under the hospital blankets and his baby blanket covers his shoulders and back. His white hair sticks out in tufts all over from lack of brushing at 6 o'clock this morning. Small puffs of air escape his parted lips as he breathes the deep sleep of lingering anesthesia. There's a line across his right check where he's slept on his IV line and it's left a mark. He's so big, yet so little.

He's recovering from having his tonsils and adenoids removed. The surgery went well. It was hard having him taken from us and even harder when I heard his cries while he was being moved from the O.R. to the recovery room. Everybody loves Gavin. The freezer is stocked with ice cream from friends and we've had numerous calls checking on him. The hardest part is going to be keeping him as inactive as possible for the next 2 weeks.