I sighed as once again I heard a piercing shriek. Across the hall, I heard a rustle of covers and then a pair of feet hitting the floor and thumping closer. I knew Mom was walking to the crib to comfort my sister, Sadie.
“How is Mama’s baby?” I heard Mom coo.
Sadie’s lived here five months now. But still…I know Mom loves me. I’m sure that she does.
I saw a star fall from the sky. Sometimes I wish I could be Mama’s baby again. How can I be? How?
My eyes fluttered open. Ah, I slept like a baby, well, all except for Sadie waking up through the night.
I rolled over to see what time it was. Suddenly, I peered through…bars? They were wooden, and there were teeth marks in one. I raised my hand to pinch myself because, surely, I must be dreaming. But, my hand—it was so small. Clumsily, I tried to pinch my arm. I squeezed my eyes shut. After a moment, I peered through one eye. I was staring at...Mom?
“Did Mama’s baby sleep well?” she asked.
Mom looked, well, different. Her hair was longer and pulled back in a clip. Her “Mom suit” had changed from sweat pants and a stained T-shirt to a pretty, stylish floral designed shirt with lacy sleeves. She wore bell bottoms, with pink beads arranged into the shape of a heart. Mom actually looked…good and kind of pretty.
Suddenly, a thought hit me. Mom looked younger. My hand was tiny, and I was sleeping in a crib! Then I thought of yesterday’s wish. I wished I was Mama’s baby. I realized maybe I was her baby again. I might have to repeat kindergarten! Maybe I was Mama’s baby forever!
Swallowing my pride, I allowed myself to be picked up from my “new bed” by my “new mom.”
She laid me on her bed for a diaper change. Of course, I didn’t do anything. Gross!
“Your diaper isn’t even wet,” New Mom said.
“Duh!” I said.
Her eyeballs nearly dropped into her lap because she opened them so wide.
“Wh-what?” she questioned.
“Um, ga-ga” I replied.
“I need more sleep,” she said, shaking a rattle above my head.
New Mom laid me on the living room rug about fifteen minutes later while she went to scramble some eggs. There was a small stuffed pig beside me. Even that stuffed animal was five times bigger than my hand!
I tried to sit up. Then I could walk into the kitchen and tell New Mom what happened to me. When I went to raise up, my head wobbled around. Great! Now I’m a baby again, plus a bobble head. I sat up a bit further. My head seemed to be a weight attached to my neck, pulling me back to the rug. I flopped back in despair.
There was only one hope left. This trick always works for Sadie.
“Waagh!” I screamed.
New Mom ran into the living room. Seeing that nothing was wrong, she packed me into the kitchen.
“Time to eat yummy cereal,” she said, grabbing a bowl.
I raised my wobbly head a little bit, looking around the kitchen. I hope it’s sugar puffs, I thought, or chocolate-o’s.
New Mom fastened a bib around my neck and plopped me into the cushioned high chair. I impatiently beat my hands on the chair’s wooden food tray. I watched as New Mom carried a bowl into the dining room.
“Yummy,” she said.
I peeked into the little bowl New Mom was holding. No, the cereal was not sprinkled with sugar, and it didn’t look chocolate flavored. It was baby cereal. It was, well, mush!
I stared in disgust as New Mom filled the spoon with mush and brought it to my mouth. Impulsively, I knocked it away, and it fell into Mom’s lap.
“No!” she said in surprise.
Guess what? Our meal was finished after this.
While New Mom was cleaning the breakfast dishes, she dumped me in the dreaded playpen. I lifted my head and quickly rolled over onto my fat, round baby belly. Let’s see…there’s a pink rattle, a pink stuffed pig, a plastic dog, and a singing bear. This toy selection is pitiful! When I get back to being twelve, I’ve got to talk to Mom about getting Sadie some new toys!
A new thought hit me. If anyone at school ever found out that Jamy Lebin ever slept in a crib, or had the desire to gnaw on a rattle, this will ruin my reputation.
Suddenly, I heard the phone ring, interrupting my thoughts. I felt myself being snatched up into New Mom’s arms. She set me on the rug once again and ran to the phone.
“Oh, hi, Barbara!” I heard her say. “Of course you can. Really? Oh?” I stopped listening until I heard, “Bring Libby, too.”
This day keeps getting better every second. Libby is the snobbiest girl at school. She’s also rude, snide, ugly (in my eyes), and did I mention rude? Aside from that, she seems nice, but I can’t stand her!
Mom says we used to be good friends as babies and up until we reached first grade. Then Mom and I moved across town, and I switched schools. When we moved back across town (right before Sadie was born), we forgot about our past friendship. Now we hate each other! Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if we remembered how much we used to like each other. Now, I’ll never know.
Two hours later, Libby and her mom arrived. Her mother set her down beside me. Since Libby was a month older, she could crawl easily. Well, if Miss Perfect could do it, so could I!
In a ferocious attempt, I did it. I crawled a few inches, but then the weight of my head became too much, and I fell back down.
Libby crawled over and stared down at me. She grinned, waved her arms, then stuck her tongue out at me. Then she drooled on me and clapped her hands. I crawled again, trying to get away. She caught up to me again. This was going to be a loooong play date. Lucky me.
Finally, New Mom tucked me into bed. I didn’t have a soft pillow. I only had a hard mattress. This was a perfect ending to a perfectly rotten day.
“Wake up!”
Mom’s hair was short, and her mom suit was back! Did I dream everything? I didn’t care what happened; I was glad to be back!
I gave Mom a hug and went to play with Sadie.
When Mom asked if I wanted cereal for breakfast, I chose toast instead.
“Wow!” Mom said. “You’ve changed!”
“Yeah,” I replied. “I’ve thought some things over.”
“You know you’re Mama’s baby, right?”
“I thought so,” I said.
Before I left for school, I slipped a picture of me and Libby into my backpack. I’d show it to her today. Maybe she’d remember our previous friendship. We just might be friends again.
Who knows? Anything’s possible. It all starts with a dream.
~The End~