Five seconds
That’s what I got
After I closed my eyes
Thinking that baby was sleeping
But with four teeth breaking through his gums
That was not to be

Lots of pain
Rocking
Cuddling
Feeding
And finally settling him
Back into his crib
Or so I thought
When I closed my eyes
Yet another time that night
Unsure of the number
Getting ten seconds of sleep
And then hearing a whimper

But this time I wait
Because I know he has Motrin
Has been soothed
Rocked and cuddled
And sure enough
The whimper stops
After three seconds
So I return to sleep