Savoring these moments

When Bethany and I were sent home from the hospital, we were given several pieces of great advice, including:

• Sleep when the baby sleeps


• Don’t do any housework


• Give the other children extra attention

Do you see why I find those amusing? How exactly am I suppose to be sleeping all the time, letting the household go to pot, yet spending a lot of time with the kids?

Thankfully my Mom arrived here the day Bethany was born. She was an incredible blessing to help out with the kids and the household chores. Lane had most of the week off and was amazing playing with the kids and cooking fabulous meals. I’ve been able to nap some and spend time playing or reading with each of the children, as well as savoring this sweet tiny baby bundle. I marvel at her little toes and fingers. She was under 6 pounds at birth so she’s so very tiny yet nursing well and likely to grow faster than I want. If only there was a pause button for all of them…

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown 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 my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For 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.

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton