Sleep Well My Baby

After many months of sleepless nights, hoping to catch a quick nap, I gorge my 6 month old with milk from the bottle. His eyes look dreamy and my red eyes perk up with greedy thoughts of getting some mid-morning sleep. To ensure that he really falls asleep, I start singing him a lullaby. Now, am a terrible singer and cannot hold a tune longer than 3 words. Some of my friends have innocently asked me what am saying when am actually humming a tune. Well, as I try to sing him to sleep, I take a peek hoping that he is already in deep sleep. As soon as he catches my eye, he grins a toothless grin and I burst into a laugh and so does he. And there in ends my attempt at getting some much needed shut-eye.

This did not dissuade me from trying to get him to sleep a few hours later. Milk, my lullaby followed by laughter.

I try yet another time telling myself that its not my singing but my timing of getting him to sleep. Maybe a new lullaby is needed and I make one up altering my favourite old hindi film song. Needless to say, he grins at me with those innocent eyes and I finally give up. Tired, I hand him over to my mother-in-law and she happily sings him to sleep. But I don't care that he prefers her voice to mine. I can get my sleep atlast !! As I crash into bed, I try very hard, but sleep eludes me. Its a hopeless case ...