Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Henry's Favorite Thing

Lots of children have them. That one comfort item that means more to them than anything else in the world. Their blankie, their taggie, their lovey. What they need to be comforted, what they take to bed with them when they sleep. You see them carrying them around, dirty and hole filled. They rub them on their face, pet them, kiss them, love them. Well, Henry seems to be getting attached to something at bedtime. We have given him toys and blankets trying to create an attachment that may help him sleep. He has a couple of toys he loves special, but at bedtime everything has been tossed out of the crib. Thrown away in disgust as if he says, "Really you all?? You thought I would be fooled by a stuffed shark?!?!"

No, he hasn't become attached to a toy. Not to a blanket or a lovey. But when we lay him down in his crib for bedtime, and then...slide our hand into the crib through the slats, he grabs on for dear life. We started this because we wanted him to sleep in his own bed, but to still know we are there. We wanted to be able to rub his back or hold his hand to help him relax and fall asleep. And since he was going from sleeping in our arms, we thought giving him a hand was a nice transitional step down. But now as mine or Nick's hand slides in to the crib, he grabs it with his own and presses it to his face. Hugging my arm tight to his body. He rubs his face into my palm and sometimes gives it a kiss. He then takes my hand and lays it flat on the mattress, and lays directly on top of it. For safe keeping. Several times as he drifts off he repositions it, using it as a pillow, then laying on top of it again. His lovey, his comfort, his favorite thing in the world, is his parents hands.

The love is so powerful sometimes, it takes my breath away. When I think of how much he loves me, and how much more I love him back. One of these days I will have to find a way to not have to sit by his crib as he falls asleep. To replace the comfort he gets from my hand with some type of toy or blanket. We really are working on it, but this falling asleep in his own bed thing is big, and we are taking baby steps. For today I love that our hands are his most favorite thing. Somehow it will be a little sad now when a stuffed animal replaces that.

12 comments:

  1. Enjoy it while you can. That's so beautiful - feeling how much he loves you with such a small act. My daughter is 11 now and I still tuck her in at night with kisses and hugs. She loves it as much as I still do. It will be a sad day when a friend sleeps over and suddenly she's embarrassed by the idea. I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

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  2. I loved the part about him laying on top of your hand!

    My little one never got into the lovey thing either. Closest thing was the breast when I would nurse her at night.

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  3. Oh. This is so sweet. What a love!

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  4. how sweet is that?
    I mean seriously - that is awesome (probably mildly annoying, but still!)

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  5. Oh gosh, that is the sweetest thing ever!! I almost got all teary reading this. Please...keep your hand in his crib for ever!! :)

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  6. What an incredibly beautiful post. You know, even as they get older and grow taller than you (like my 13 yr old), there are still moments when they desperately need to be close to you. I treasure those moments.

    ~ICLW #18

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  7. Oh how sweet! It is the best feeling to know that only your presence will soothe your baby. One day they'll be embarassed to be around us - treaure this!!

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  8. that is so sweet. :)
    great post.

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  9. soon that will be gone so enjoy it while it's happening. My girl used to like it when I kissed my hand and combed my fingers through her hair. she would say I was wiping my kisses all over her...so cute, I'm not even sure when it stopped or when she stopped reminding me to do it. Maybe I'll do it tonight...

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  10. That is one of the cutest things I have ever heard. It melts my heart. What a sweet little boy.

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