Mommy Moments: Sweeter Than Chocolate

I've said before that DeLaynie is going through a very nurturing phase. Last night and the night before she has slept with a penguin, her favorite doll, and a teddy bear. Last night, I believe, also included a beanie baby of which she is fond. It's quite the zoo.

One of her favorite things to do is put things to bed. One day I walked into the church nursery, and the workers pointed to a crib and said, "She put the babies to bed." There were two dolls in there, on their faces. Apparently, we still need to work on safe sleep positions. Dad (her Big D)checks in on her while she's at school, and last week he saw her under a table, singing to, rocking, and kissing a baby doll.

Yesterday I was letting her play in our room. There's a baby gate to the door because it has a drop-off, and Ella will crawl right onto that little head of hers. I don't let her play in our room often, but a certain little baby is sick, and being awfully high maintenance. I figured that it would keep her pretty well entertained while I was comforting Ella in the kitchen. I was dealing with aforementioned high maintenance baby when I heard DeLaynie. She was singing softly. Then I heard her say, "Night-night. I wuv ou. Jesus wuvs ou more," and give the teddy bear, who was apparently thoroughly exhausted, a big ol' kiss. This little speech is DeLaynie's night-night speech. We say it before every nap and every night at bedtime.

Now, I know that she doesn't understand the significance of what she's saying, but I know that what we tell her at bedtime is becoming a part of her sweet, little consciousness. Between diaper changes, wiping noses, and feeding small people who never seem to want what I've made for them, it's a little ray of sunshine that makes it a little easier to keep on keeping on. Thanks, God!