Finally, one to snuggle

Abby never earned a reputation for being a snuggly baby. The more we held and rocked her, the more she squirmed. At bedtime, she was all business and would cry in protest if we threatened to linger too long before putting her down to sleep. The oh-so-comfortable rocker in the pink and green nursery was good for storytime and feeding time but little else.

When Caleb came along, the rocker moved into its new home in the blue nursery. But alas, even there it was seldom put to use. He was an efficient eater, and the time I got to spend feeding him as I rocked in that little chair usually lasted little more than 15 minutes before he was finished or his big sister required my attention on some matter that seemed pressing to a 1-year-old.

But while Abby never let me and with Caleb I felt I never had time, my third child is working to fill in the gaps on my baby snuggling. Always warm, and always cuddly, Jacob is perfect to snuggle. When he's awake, there's nowhere he'd rather be than cuddled up next to someone. And when he's tired, he sleeps, no matter if it's in my arms or tucked in his crib. Bedtime routines can get crazy around here, but every once in a while I find a way to tune out the madness of toddler bathtime and just enjoy my baby boy (much to my husband's chagrin, I'm sure).

And it's moments like these that I actually feel like I could spend a lifetime in that rocker with my little guy curled up to my chest like this, if only he'd stay little, and if only he'd let me.