Cat in the crib

Coco the Cat knew there was something special about Ava's nursery almost from the moment I started decorating it. Problem is, until we brought Ava home, Coco thought it was her room. Imagine her shock and dismay when we brought home a six-pound baby and subsequently locked Coco out of "her" beautiful little kingdom.

Needless to say, she didn't take it well. And so started Coco's plotting and scheming and patiently waiting for her moment to sneak in. Last week, she found it. She darted between my feet when I opened the door, then scampered to the crib and leapt over the railing. She proceeded to lie down, curl up, and make herself comfortable.

Knowing how meaningful (and short-lived) this moment would be for Coco, I decided to let her relish it just for a moment-or at least long enough to get a picture. I love the look on her face in this snapshot. She knows I'm about to snatch her up and banish her to the hallway, and she can't decide whether to run and hide or just act normal, as if to say, "What? There's nothing unusual going on here."

Rachel Raya is director of Internal Stakeholder Communications for Texas Health Resources and Mom to eight-month-old Ava.