When I found Mira's nursery furniture on Craigslist, (super cheap, of course!) I could have never imagined how much time I would spend in the rocking chair. I wish I could write down all of the things I think about as I sit there, but my hands are usually full with someone very important. Almost every night, for the the past 11 months, (give or take a few) I ignored the phone, computer, dirty dishes, dust bunnies, and piles of laundry to rock my sweet girl. While we were waiting for Mira to come into our lives, I found this poem ......
Babies Don’t Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye 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 his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But 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.
As Mira is growing so big and tall, it's harder and harder for her to be comfortable with me rocking her in our chair, so we've become quite creative with the way we snuggle. I hope that she will sit with me, with her head on my chest, and listen to me sing her to sleep for many more years, but I know that will soon come to an end. But for now, I will cherish every second, wrap my arms around her, kiss her cheeks and tell her we love her.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
