This afternoon, Audrey woke up from a kind-of short nap with a little cry and some whining. By the time I got into her room, she was standing in her crib (with the most adorable bed-head ever), holding on to her sleepy-bear with a perplexed look on her face. She usually greets me with a smile and we talk and play as she's waking up. But something was different today and I felt like I should just pick her up and hold her. She immediately laid her head on my shoulder and draped each arm around me and relaxed. She does that every once in a while, but about 10 seconds later she's ready to get down and run. Not this time. She continued to rest her head on my shoulder so I sat down on the glider and she slightly readjusted herself and got comfortable again. Within a few minutes, I heard her breathing get heavier and I knew she was asleep. I hate to admit it, but my first thought was, "I hope I can lay her back in her crib without waking her up so I can cross a few more things off my to-do list for today."
Then another thought came to mind: "when was the last time you held Audrey while she was sleeping?!?" And I honestly couldn't remember when. (When she's tired, she just wants to be put in her crib and be left alone, so, it has been a long time!)
I thought of the book "Let Me Hold You Longer" by Karen Kingsbury. It starts out about how parents tend to focus on all of our children's "firsts" in life. As the book goes on, the author wonders if she would have held on longer if she knew it would be a "last" time. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it!! Just make sure you have some kleenex handy. :) While I certainly hope it's not the last time, I realized it might be a LONG time before I get this chance again.
So, for the next 35 minutes, I sat holding my little girl while she slept in my arms. I closed my eyes and thought about how much has happened in the last 16 months. I prayed for her and for Tyson and I as her parents. and I just relaxed. It was just what I needed. One of the big lessons that God is teaching me right now is to sit and be quiet and relax.
and I'm really glad I did.
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2 comments:
So precious. Good for you for realizing the importance of that moment!!
You know what? Dust always comes back, beds always need to made, dishes done, etc., but you're right. You can never get those sweet moments back. Glad you stopped and just enjoyed the feeling of Audrey's muscles relaxing as she drifted back to sleep and listened to her breathe. Audrey is definitely a reminder of the wonderful Creator we serve.
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