Have you ever had a baby
Given to you for a while?
Before you are to get him
Oh, you know it will be a trial.
With the endless piles of washing
And the formula to prepare.
And your good sleep broken nightly
To serve up his highnesss fare.
There'll be lint from fuzzy garments
On your chairs and rugs and clothes,
And the added tasks before you,
Only one who's had them knows.
But when that squirming bundle
Is placed within your arm,
And you know that you must keep it
Clean and fed, and safe and warm;
Then you look among the covers
And you see that small sweet head,
You know that you are ready
To do all those tasks you dread.
And as time flies swiftly by you,
And the chubby cherub grows,
Each day he gets much sweeteer
From his head down to his toes.
If I only had the talent,
And in words could paint for you
Just how sweet a baby's smile is,
And how meaningful each coo.
How beautiful their bodies
With each dimpled foot and hand.
How relaxed and truly darling,
As they slip to slumberland.
How they twist their little fingers
In your heart-strings, and you fall
Into being slave and servant
To their every beck and call.
No trip holds quite the glamor,
That it used to have of yore,
For I want to hurry homeward
As I never did before.
'Cause I hate to miss his smiling
And the trusting looks I see,
When he's telling by his cooing
That he really cares for me.
Yes, I may be old and foolish,
But I'm sure you'll all agree
God sent his rarest blessing,
When they loaned this child to me.