Rocking a Baby

There is something so precious and almost holy about rocking a baby to sleep. J loves for me to rock him before his nap and bedtime. Since the switch to one nap, he is usually out cold in about a minute. I know I can then lay him in his crib, but I often continue to rock and sing softly, "Yes, Jesus loves J..."

The other day I was painting the bathroom while J and the girls were eating their lunch. Pretty soon the girls ran in, all excited that J had fallen asleep in his high chair. He was completely out and hardly stirred as I removed his tray and bib. Both little girls said, "Oh, Mama, we want to hold him while he's sleeping!" So they sat down and each had a turn holding the sleeping 25-pounder. They had such looks of awe on their faces, and I knew they felt it too-that precious holy feeling that a sleeping babe evokes in a mother, even a little mother. :)

I hardly ever rocked my girls to sleep when they were babies. We were sticklers about putting them to bed awake and letting them settle themselves down (sometimes scream themselves down) so that they wouldn't come to depend on us to get to sleep. So I know this can't continue much longer without forming a habit, but I am loving it for a little while. And I am learning that comfort and soothing from a mama goes a long way for attachment and security issues in foster care and adoption. Praise the Lord, this little one seems as securely attached to us, as we are to him. :)