To say our children are only small for a moment may sound so trite but it’s oh so true. Those first couple years are filled with pounds gained, inches grown and milestones reached, and then without notice, we are left with a blossoming preschooler, often too independent for mom.
My oldest, Kate, was never a cuddler. As soon as she could sit up on her own, she wanted to be free to do and see what she pleased. My second chance at stealing those sweet snuggly moments was with Madelyn, and – colic aside – she’s come through for me with some sweet nuzzles here and there.
My favorite time of the day is bedtime. And not just because that means I can consider myself “off duty.” We have a long-standing bedtime routine in our house, and cozying up in the glider in Maddie’s room, singing songs and telling stories, is how we end our days.
Unfortunately, the countdown to age 3 is on for Maddie, which means those precious, End-of-the-Day moments are limited. It saddens me on the nights she asks to sit next to me on the glider instead of on my lap. Or when she tries to cuddle up against my chest but can’t quite get comfortable because she’s grown too tall.
But for now, I’m enjoying each evening as it comes. I’ve recently added an additional song to our routine, and may or may not frequently ask her if she wants to rock for a bit longer even though her songs and stories are done. Then I rest my head on the cushioned chair back and take in that extra time with my baby, peacefully swaying back and forth.
Please stop by a belle, a bean, and a chicago dog and tell her about your own special sleepy time moments.
What a sweet post! It all does go by so fast!
And they do grow fast. I don’t do the whole bedtime routine with my tot, 3yo in August, I just hold him in my arms (he’s getting heavy these days) until he says ‘Mommy I want on the bed’ (within 2-3 min.), one more kiss and that’s it. But we do cuddle a lot during the day. In a way I want him to be independent and not the “momma’s boy” he probably is right now, on the other hand I don’t want him to change because of those precious moments. Sigh.
So sweet, it all does go by so fast. I love the snuggling/story bedtime routine.
So precious! I love the bedtime routine. We recently took our glider in the basement out of the boys room and I miss it. They grow up too fast!
Thank you for sharing your sweet post! I’m wiping the tears away now. 🙁 my girls are two and six and I savor every night as we rock to sleep. I truly don’t ever want it to end.
This is so bittersweet. Yeah, you must prepare. My eight year old now just goes up to bed by herself. sob.
It does go by too fast…where do the sweet little babies go?
I love Liz, and this is so sweet! I am guilty of adding a story to Dylan’s routine now and then, and he’s only 17 months!
Aw, I was just thinking last night how much I love bedtime.
It really does go by so quickly. Bitter sweet. I find myself wishing the time forward but you’re so right, we need to embrace. We won’t always fit in the glider together.
So sweet. They do grow up way too quickly for my liking. My sweet baby is already a month old and I’m wondering where the time went.
Oh, now you’ve done it. I am going to be a wreck at my son’s graduation this weekend….
Oh, this made me a little sad. My husband usually does the bedtime story routine with our daughter, but I think I might have to take over from now on.
Your intro is tremendously kind, lady! And I can’t wait to meet you, too! I need to give you my cell so we can be sure to connect the one day you are going to be there!
Awww, so sweet! I’m noticing the older my son gets, the more he wants to cuddle. I won’t fight that one!
True confession:
my almost 14-year-old and almost 12-year old still want me at bedtime (shhhhh.)
They don’t snuggle on my lap. They don’t need to be rocked or sung to (thankfully, really, because they’re heavy).
But they need me. My daughter wants me to cover her with her blanket and move her door to the perfect spot of openjustalittlebit.
My son won’t let me say “I love you” until he’s up in his top bunk with his head on his pillow. Then he says, “Okay. I’m ready.”
I know. Silly. And childish. And I am sometimes tired (because they stay up until 10:00 now!)
But mostly, I’m grateful because I know it won’t last.
It could be over tomorrow in fact. They have grown so quickly.
So push that pause button, Liz. Make it last…
I too like bedtime. Not because, it means the kids are in bed but because it is the one time I know that my kids are all about a snuggle or two. 🙂
Oh Liz, how I love thee…
Bedtime is the only time my Chunky will cuddle. I savor every moment of it.
Mmmm . . . I miss bedtime. Now it’s a hug and wave goodnight.
At least I still get a hug.
I know that I will miss bedtime when the boys are too big for it, too cool. I often complain about Jacob in my bed, but the truth is that I look forward to this little body shaping itself to mine, snuggling in before he drifts off.
those are the moments I will reach for in a few years, that I will hang onto as they drift off to sleep without me.
loved this Liz, it was so wonderful.
Yes … thanks for the little sniffle and sigh post! 🙂
*sniff*
Mine turned three on 4/8. She is tall, athletic, extremely opinionated, and downright bossy. My baby is gone!
This kid in her place? I admit… cracks me up all day long. Lucky for us, there are good aspects to every age – except maybe teenage. I’m running away when she turns 13.
Oh, so sweet. I love this. I wish there was a pause button on life.
Oh so truly sweet. I know I often spend extra time cuddling with my baby and he is just one but I am already starting the mourn the fact that he is growing up.
So true. My son may have had stitches twice, a broken arm, numerous bumps, bruises, and contusions, but at the end of the day he is such a Mama’s boy and he cuddles with me like my girls never did. I don’t even mind that he is stalling bedtime. He’s my last baby and I’ll rock him as long as he’ll let me.
My youngest is entering kindergarten in the Fall and just about all of the baby in him has slipped away. I used to rush through the bedtime routine as quickly as possible. Lately though I’ve been getting it started earlier, to spend more “relaxed” time with my boys. Loving it. Think they are too.
You never know – my 4 year old seems more cuddly now than he was as a 3 year old. Probably just starved for attention w/ his younger brothers.
My oldest was never really a cuddler either but my youngest and one of my dogs is. I will be sad when they stop this.