Dear Sweet Mama: You Don't Have to Put the Baby Down Right Away

This afternoon, as I was nursing my youngest son to sleep, while my 3-year-old son napped, I had a revelation...one that I decided to share with you. We mommies don't have to rush around constantly. We really don't. If the baby falls asleep, you don't have to put him in his crib that instant so you can rush over to the sink to do the dishes. Or the laundry. Or to mop the floor. While those things do need to get done, and I totally get that, believe me... We mommies also need to savor this sweet time and actually enjoy our babies. So with this in mind, do you know what I did today? As I held my son over his crib, thinking about putting him down so I could rush to get a load of the laundry in the washing machine... I stopped. Stopped rushing. Stopped listening to the racing thoughts in my head, telling me everything I needed to get done. I listened to the sound of my son breathing. I watched his little sleepy expressions. I cherished that moment, and lingered in it for awhile longer. Because, let's face it... The laundry will get done eventually (and then more will hit the bottom of the basket). The dishes will get washed (then there will be more meals and more dishes). But I will never have this exact moment with my child again... And I want to cherish all these precious little seconds as much as I can.

So, there real takeaway here is, just knowing that it's okay... You don't have to rush around. Yes, some days you do need to buckle down and clean. Sometimes you do need to let the baby hang out in the swing while you wash all your dishes or get that load of laundry in. I'm not saying you never do chores anymore. I'm just saying that it's alright to give yourself permission... to linger in these precious moments a little bit longer, take a deep breath, and really feel how beautiful, wonderful, sweet, and blessed these moments truly are. This afternoon, as I held my sweet son in my arms, drinking in his sweet, sensitive, darling little self... I thought about my two losses... my miscarriages... I thought about my prayers to the Lord, that he would bless us with another baby... I thought about how faithful God was to answer... and really savored the fact that he's here! My rainbow baby is here! I just love him so much. Taking the time to truly appreciate him is such a joy! And if that means the laundry sits in piles on the floor a little longer... if that means the dishes soak in the sink for a few more minutes... then I'm not apologizing. It's worth it.