Sunday, August 17, 2008

Sleeping like a baby

I'll save my feelings about sleep training and letting babies cry it out for another post, but last night as Elena was nursing to sleep, I noticed again how her peace reaches out and calms me. I was tired and had an allergy headache, but as she snuggled in my arms I let go of everything else. She smiled a couple of times, then made her little baby noises. A little milk dribbled out of the corner of her mouth as she instantly relaxed into sleep. I could smell her hair and feel her soft breath on my face. She was so content. And so was I.

The Bible is full of wonderful verses about sleep, but I especially love the imagery from Deuteronomy 33:12, 27 "...Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders...the eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."

One of the most beautiful experiences we can have is falling asleep in the arms of our beloved. I am so glad that my wonderful husband had the foresight to get a king-sized bed. Waking up snuggled with our whole family and having the transition time between being asleep and awake full of cuddles and giggles is my favorite way to start and end our day.

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