"It's time to sleep, little bird, little bird, so close your eyes not another word...."
-Mem Fox, from Time for Bed
Is there anything more amazingly sweet then your little one sleeping? My heart feels so big and full when I gaze at my boy's freckles, his absurdly long lashes, his kissable little lips. The love feels so big that it aches sometimes, needing to burst out as an energy to share with the world. When I was pregnant with my darling boy, I read a quote by Elizabeth Stone that struck me hard, and has remained lodged as a jewel of truth throughout my momma journey: "Making the decision to have a child... is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."Watching my little one sleep restores so much goodness - it refills some of the energy that has waned after a day of arguments over putting on shoes, clearing his place at the table, or negotiating for more screen time, more treats. Loving my child awake is often joyful - he is hilarious and creative and fun, but it also pushes me to new levels of patience, and doubt and questioning: parenting is so hard. Of course the love never falters, but it's not the same as when he sleeps - loving my sleeping child is sweet, and quiet, and easy.
One of my favorite writers and momma bloggers, Glennon Melton, writes about the struggles of parenting with so much humor and wisdom. Her viral post, Don't Carpe Diem, is a read I can't encourage strongly enough. She writes, "I think parenting children is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they’ve heard there’s magic in the climb...They try because even though it hurts and it’s hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard...[but] I think that if there were people stationed, say, every thirty feet along Mount Everest yelling to the climbers – 'ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF!? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE! ONE DAY YOU’LL BE SORRY YOU DIDN’T!” TRUST US!! IT’LL BE OVER TOO SOON! CARPE DIEM!' those well-meaning, nostalgic cheerleaders might be physically thrown from the mountain."For any weary mommas or daddies out there, definitely check out the post. It has helped to ground me many a'time, offering much needed reassurance that I'm doing the parenting job-thing alright.
And for mommas and daddies that are still at the pre-toddler stage, that magical era* before our tiny humans become so disagreeable? I'd love to suggest the gorgeous little book- Time for Bed by Mem Fox & paintings by Jane Dyer - that I quoted at the beginning of this post. Of course you can find it many places, but since I'm a huge fan of supporting our independent peeps, I'm linking my local readers to the fabulous Porter Square Books.
With love and many glimpses of your tiny one sleeping,
Ceilidh
Postscript for you all:
Do you need beautiful sleepy photos of your little one? I would love to take heirloom photos of your family! It's never too early to contact me about a future session - booking is usually done months in advance - 617-480-0387 or cwy@willowbabystudios.com
Also, for more daily cuteness, please jump on over to Instagram and follow me there for daily adorableness! #willowbabydaily