Baby Bee and Me, 4 days old.
Lately I've been hearing some comments in real life and on twitter concerning how well a baby is or isn't sleeping. And some mamas seem dismayed that their little one will only nap during the day in their arms.
Oh goodness, this is so normal for a baby! And can you blame them? They are small, helpless, new little beings. Of course they want to be held and loved in mama's arms even when they are snoozing.
I'm going to tell you something...I hold my babies when they nap. My first born would not nap anywhere but in my arms for one year. I loved it. I read, watched movies, rested...it was awesome. Little Baby Bee loves to nap in my arms but will nap in his crib for at least one or two good naps a day. It's a little trickier now that I have two boys to care for, but I still give him that time to rest in my arms. We just do quiet activities or I slip him into the Ergo if I need free hands. My house is not pristine, we use paper plates, our garden is overgrown. Less gets done right now, but the foundation of trust and love being built is so important.
It feels instinctive to me to meet their needs in this way. I don't do sleep schedules or training or anything like that. Babies slip into their own routine before you know it, and although it may seem like they will never sleep through the night, they all do eventually.
So enjoy the sweet baby cuddles and snuggles while you can, and don't feel guilty about not doing as much as you used to around the house. This season passes so quickly. Trust me, I know. I cannot believe my first born will be five in just a few months. How can he be five already? And how has half of a year slipped by since Baby Bee was born? Time goes by so fast. Enjoy these days.
I love this poem:
Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing Kanga and this is is my Roo.
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton
Ah, this is lovely and so true! My daughter is nine years old and I cannot believe it! I would always hold her in my arms for naps and I loved every minute of it! Time goes by so fast, we should really enjoy every second of it! xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you for this reminder. I do often hold my little one while she sleeps. And it's true they grow up far too quickly.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have kids yet but I appreciate this post. I often hear about sleep training, etc, but rarely the perspective you shared - it's wonderful.
ReplyDeleteH dear.....thanks for this honest post!! I feel like there is so much pressure not to "spoil" your baby. I didn't hold my first nearly as much as I wanted to bc of that. My newest naps in my arms everyday..l..there is NO WAY I'm letting this pass me by this time. :) love the poem too.
ReplyDeleteI never did sleep schedules either Kelly, and there was no way I was letting them cry anything out. I rocked them to sleep each time they napped or went to bed, and they both slept through the night by six weeks. I could put them down in their beds, but if they woke up, no sweat we held and rocked again. I wouldn't do it any other way. After I lost Madison, I vowed I would treasure every moment if God gave me another baby. I think my kids are secure and happy because of the time I spent with them. Nothing was more important than my babies. My house was not pristine either, and it still isn't. Now I nurture them in different ways. They still have dreams during the night, and sometimes especially Morgan needs me during the night. I GO...no questions asked. I don't think our children can ever have too much loving care. Time does fly. Parker is starting high school this year, and in a few weeks Morgan will be a teenager also. Cherish the time....I have loved every moment of being their momma, and I wouldn't do anything different if I had to do it all again...
ReplyDeleteI "wore" my baby for as long as my back could take it and he slept on top of my husband's stomach. He had colic for five months and I couldn't put him down! And I don't regret any of that holding and toting around for a MINUTE.
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