Yesterday I spent much time in the rocking chair. My baby boy was sick. One of those inexplicable bouts of fever that scare me half to death, because his fever is so high and he is so out of it.
So I sit with him in the rocking chair and we rock back and forth, his face on my chest, his little legs hugging my hips, and his little arms tucked in between the two of us. We just rock, for what seems like an hour, and it feels so very good to hold him, comfort him, to feel his breath on my cheek when he looks up at me and sighs a little, then smiles a little. And I totally melt when he wraps those little arms around my neck and squeezes to give me a tight little hug.
Aahhh, heaven.....
The rocking chair has been around a few years. I remember buying it at Walmart almost 8 years ago, when I was pregnant with Kaitlyn. This one was the "inexpensive" version, dark brown wood covered with dark green cloth. Not exactly what I had in mind decor-wise, but it was in our budget, unlike the pretty white wood one with light blue cloth covering. It has since moved into Zander's room. Two of the springs are no longer attached, and the matching ottoman is in the garage somewhere since there is no space for it.
I love that rocking chair, for all of the memories attached. Starting with me breast feeding Kaitlyn, Hootie's 'fave spot' when KK and I were not occupying it, our faithful 'go to' seat for cuddle moments. Then there were the countless times when I just went into their room and rocked, listening to them breathe, and those times (and there were and still are plenty of those) when there was fever or otherwise "not feeling good" involved. We just sit and rock gently. I will sing songs, hum, or tell stories and enjoy holding my baby for a little while longer.
But my most favorite part these days is the time before bed, when we settle into the rocking chair after putting on pj's and get ready to read a book first, then sing songs.
Zander knows the routine and before we are even settled in the chair, he already signs 'book'. So I pick a book or I give him two options and let him pick. We 'read' the book (I read while Zander adds his own comments), then put it away when we are 'all done'. I ask him what he wants to do next and he signs and says "sing". 'Okay, what song do you want to sing first?', I ask. "Pidah", Zander says while bunching his little fingers together to make a spider. Okay, I say, we will sing Itsy Bitsy Spider. And we sing our song and then we clap. Then we sing another song and we clap some more. Finally, I will start singing his bed time song 'slaap kindje slaap', at which point he turns from a sitting position to lay on my chest and tucks his little arms and hands in between us, resting his head on my shoulder and starts soothing himself using his tongue as his pacifier.
I sing the song slowly and sit some more, savoring the moment. Then I put him in his bed, turn the night light on, the big light off and tell him: lekker slapen. I tell him I love him and leave the room, at which point he turns on his belly, tucks his arms and legs in and goes to sleep.
Later, once he is asleep I may return and sit in the rocking chair and listen to my baby breathe.
