Babies

   

    Lately I have been unusually mindful of all the babies I see everywhere. Mary and I were at Children's yesterday in Hem/Onc and there was the most precious Indian baby with a beautiful tiny face and BIG lungs !  The head nurse came and asked if we wanted to be moved because of her ongoing crying and I told her I had 8 babies....what crying?  She cracked up.  I made sure I went over to the pod where the little gal was with her parents, being accessed for IV drugs, and told them to please not stress because she didn't bother us at all. They visibly relaxed.

    I remember acutely feeling people's stares when my babies were crying for whatever reason. My stress at those times did not come from an irritation with my baby, but from my perceived inconveniencing of others. Isn't that how we as Mothers feel so often? That we are bothering others.  This leads me to recall a most beloved priest from Poland who was at our parish.  He got up one Sunday and said," All you parents who are trying to keep your children well behaved, or who take them out constantly or even leave early are the ones who should be up front here in the first pews near me. Those children need to see what's going on and they will behave because they can see. If they are out of hand it is appropriate for you to take them out and discipline or speak to them but please bring them right back in and come up front to the first few pews because you are not bothering me at all. I want you here."  He told those who got irritated, that Sunday Mass was a family affair and if they were looking for silence they should go to Adoration. Children were to be welcomed as far as he was concerned. It was awesome!  It was wonderful. I felt I had a right to be there with our big brood.

   Isn't this picture peaceful? Our son Joe took this. Peaceful...... Good Gracious, NO. I was forever trying to keep kids quiet, amused, off the floor, turned around properly instead of staring at some poor soul behind us ! With Mary, as a toddler she had this shoe love and would take off under the pews and get away. We'd have to go get her from some unsuspecting lady with great shoes!!  It was work let me tell you.  I tell newer Moms all the time that I didn't hear a homily for 20 years. I have walked 6 million miles across the back of churches with babies and at the end with twins !!!  I have to admit it's pretty nice to now get to sit for all of Mass and not be hopping up and down doing Mommy calisthenics !  I always want to go tell the younger Mom's that they are doing an awesome job. That getting there is a miracle in itself and that it is awesome they care enough to wear themselves out just so the family attends Mass.

   So what is this almost 50 years old and seeing babies everywhere thing??  Is it the pre-Grandma business going on?  I don't even have any kids married yet so I have a long wait. Pout face. My husband is a baby guy. He is a toddler guy. He is a kid guy.  It's one of the most attractive things about him. This must be why we have 8 kids. Duh.  We both make the stupidest faces at babies in the store or at Children's Hospital. The parents probably worry about us.  I usually blurt out we have 8 children then they just think we're nuts instead of dangerous.

   I miss babies. I miss Pooh Bear. I miss how they smell when they're born...there is nothing on earth like it...nothing.  I miss snuggling in bed with them. I miss being up super early in the morning having quiet time before everyone else was up.  I miss high chairs and little spoons. I miss sippy cups, binkies and the way a baby beams when you walk in the door.  I miss bath time and how wonderful a newly washed toddler smells. I miss doing those wooden puzzles with them, counting on fingers and toes and singing Little Ducky Duddle.  I miss how my now 22 year old son would crawl into bed with us every morning at 4 AM and get cozy. 

I miss babies...sniff, sniff. 

Can anyone lend me one for awhile please?

HELP!!

~Blessings~

Lisa