Thursday, June 16, 2005

Holding my children close

Both of the girls seem to be especially affectionate and "clingy" the last few days. I wonder if it's because they sense the change coming with the new baby. They've both been wanting to spend a lot of time in my lap and M is begging me to carry her everywhere.

This morning M crawled in and dozed with me for about an hour before it was time to get up. She kept putting her little hand on my cheek to make sure I was really there. At breakfast and lunch, M pulled her chair so close it was touching mine, and A sat on the other side of me. We had what A calls "girled cheese samwiches" for lunch and they were so happy just to be near me and each other and chat about everything and nothing. It's days like this that make me really glad I don't have to leave them with someone else and be gone from them all day.

Tonight DH and I will each be taking some time to spend with one of the girls individually. We did that last week and they loved it. We'd like to do that sort of thing as much as possible before the baby arrives.

On some days I might feel smothered by the girls' being clingy, but today I'm relishing it.

This afternoon we got a phone call from a dear friend whose second-trimester baby was stillborn yesterday. Another friend called to tell us about a little autistic girl who took a bottle of Tylenol pills and is in critical condition with liver failure. We're praying and aching for both families.

I'm glad my children want to be held close today.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I so relate to this article, particularly the bit where you wrote that sometimes you feel smothered, but today you're relishing their clinginess....My children also do this. They play this game, "my mama," where one will come and give me a hug, and say "my mama," (usually my son is the one that starts this), and the other, not to be outdone, plants a bigger kiss and says more emphatically, "No...*my* mama." Some days it gets really old, but others it's so precious! We turn it around and do "My daddy," or "My sissy/brother" where my husband and I join in. It fosters a love btwn them doing the brother sister version with mom and dad (We always let the kids "win" that one) versus focusing on the mama/daddy version where sibling rivalry can grow.

I particularly was touched at the reasons behind your relishing their desire to be held today. Know that your friends are in my prayers; my kids have a more patient/attentive/loving mother today too..

11:35 AM  
Blogger purple_kangaroo said...

My kids do that "My mommy" thing too . . . it was worst when I was providing childcare for a little boy who was halfway between my girls in age (yes, 3 kids with less than 16 months between the oldest and youngest). My girls and the little boy all had a bit of a hard time with sharing my attention and wanting their own "territory."

The three of them would go from "MY mommy!" "No, MY mommy!" while pulling on my legs down the whole gamut of "my house" and "my wall."

12:32 AM  

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