Today I had the opportunity to play with babies. Yep, you read that right. As in “I’m six years old all over again and I want to play with my dollies!”
My neighbor has boy-girl twin two-month-olds and I actually offered to babysit them for her today. All day long.
It was pure joy.
Feeding, holding, burping, cooing at them … even changing a poopy diaper was decadent.
Am I crazy? Not at all. First off, I knew I would not be going at this 6-hour task alone. My mother-in-law and mom are visiting from out of town, so there would be back-up care here, and these two babies have been gems since they day they popped out of their momma, exactly eight weeks ago today.
And I wanted a baby fix.
Do you know how when you have a newborn baby and she’s settled onto your chest fast asleep, and her breathing matches your breathing and all the happy hormones are being emitted from you like flowering daisies all around your head, and you couldn’t feel happier unless someone was feeding you pieces of dark chocolate and bringing you free bling to choose from a jewelry box?
That’s how I was feeling today.
Oh my gosh, what an amazing day.
To smell these babies, and take care of them, and to remember what it was like to have newborns. To outline their little ears, and touch the softness of their hair. To be able to match my fingers up with their teeny fingers and to coo at them, try to make them smile at me, and just love on two sweet innocent babies. I’m getting giddy thinking about what a wonderful day I had with these precious babies.
And yet, it doesn’t make me yearn for another. I know I’m done, am past my maternal prime. I’m 41, and I wouldn’t have the patience or the vigor to keep up with what it takes to have a baby at my age. My children are 9, 11 and 13, and I am completely in love with what they are doing and learning at their ages. We have fun together, we burp together, and I still match my fingers up with theirs – although my 13-year-old son is way bigger than I am at almost six-feet tall. But he was once as teeny as the little twin baby I cuddled with all day long.
Babies really are such a gift from God, and to be able to spend a whole day with two special ones, with nothing else on the agenda but to hold them, feed them, and play with them was such a nice present. It was just like playing real live dolls!
And if you’re still a young mother to babies, I’m sure you have already heard this advice – that they grow up so fast, and I hate to echo these words, but it’s true. So cherish those quiet moments and put them to memory, because like me, soon you will be matching your hands up to your kids, and yours will be smaller than theirs. It will happen. I guarantee it.
What a sweet, sweet post Stephanie…you have this pregnant mom a little teary eyed. =)
Ah Heather, thanks! It was such a nice day! I do miss babies–enjoy your little one when he or she arrives!