Rock A Bye Baby

It took 250 rock-a-bye sways this morning before my baby Kainoa finally drifted off to sleep. Sometimes all it takes to prevent me from sleeping before he does is to play mental games like these. Counting the number of sways I rock him before he wanders off to dreamland. These days the only sporting event I get to participate on are reduced to minding the imaginary stopwatch counting the minutes and seconds before I reach the finish line, which is either my baby drinking all his milk, or falling asleep.

But have you ever just sat and watch a baby sleep? You’ve got to try it if you haven’t. It is the most peaceful and beautiful sight.
Since I have become a mom, watching my baby sleep has become my favorite sport. But unlike most sports that leave you tired and spent after indulging in it, this activity leaves you totally relaxed and rejuvenized.

It is true what they say about sleeping babies. They really look like angels. Pure and lovely. And then there is that smile again that forms in his face as he sleeps which is to die for. Or make you desire to live forever. I live for that smile.

But getting them to sleep is the other end of the story. When my son Kainoa was just a newborn, there were times I needed to rock him in my arms for what seemed like hours. And at last he finally falls asleep, then the neighbor’s dog starts barking, startling my baby and it starts all over again!

But I am so in love with my son that rocking him to sleep, waking up 24/7to feed him, change him, sing to him, and rock him again to sleep feels like a privilege and a blessing each time.

He is almost six months old now. His sleeping patterns have become more interesting. There are those very angelic moments that he goes to sleep on his own after being fed. And there are those times that he bends his body in every possible way he can contort himself into, or stretch his arms and legs in every direction, while you’re trying you’re best to hold onto him, as he gets frustrated for being tired, hungry or simply wanting to be held or carried some more.

And you pray when just before he dozes off, he breaks into a smile that leads into giggles and crispy laughter, his beautiful eyes twinkling at you, and you muster all the will you have inside of you not to pick him up and play with him again. A seductive trick he does on me when he doesn’t want to go to sleep yet. Many a times I succumbed to it but I’m getting stronger each time as I continue to coax him to go back to sleep because I know he needs one.

The pay-off for swaying on my feet as I rock him to sleep is enormous. I get to kiss him one more time before I finally put him down inside his crib. And as I inhale that delicious, sweet scent of my child as I put my cheek against his, I am tempted, so tempted to just keep on holding him and rocking him for a few more hundred sways. Or not.