Cate likes to be rocked to sleep. She always has. I'm beginning to fear that she always will.
I'm pretty sure the three weeks she spent in the hospital right after she was born gave her a good start with her love of rocking. We were allowed to hold her during her feedings. Then we'd stay and hold her for a while after the feeding was done. Sometimes we'd rock for an hour, sometimes less. I felt bad hurrying home to take care of Danny so I stayed and rocked her.
I also give some credit to Grama Bama for helping Cate love the rocking. She arrived into town the day Cate came home from the hospital. Most of Grama Bama's time was spent in the chair in the front room rocking that tiny baby. She almost never put her down. And for that, Grama Bama got most of the baby barf (and with a case of reflux, there was a lot of baby barf). Rocking, rocking, rocking for four weeks.
Sometimes I have visions of me holding a 60 pound not-so-baby Cate on my lap and rocking, rocking, rocking until she's almost asleep. Hopefully, she'll be in a big girl bed by then because I don't think I could heave 60 pounds over the crib railing very safely.
I know people like to say stuff like "enjoy it, she won't let you rock her to sleep forever" but I think in her case, she just might. She knows what she wants and she gets it. Plus, we've lived in fear of the night time pukes for 2 years now. Don't do anything to upset that kid at bed time or you're going to see her dinner again, this time all over your lap and shoulder. Let me tell you, it ain't pretty. Actually, ask Dan. He's been her target way more times than me. So for now, she gets rocked to sleep. Or to a state of mostly asleep. Whichever she happens to desire that night.
I've been rocking her at nap time too. Dan spoiled her this summer so I'm just keeping it up. As soon as I sit down with her, she demands, "Gong." That means song. She likes to be sung to. I have three songs on my rotation. They're all Primary songs about Jesus. I figure I might as well teach her while I've got her attention.
Plus, as soon as I sit in that chair, for the life of me, I can't think of anything else to sing. Just those three every time. The fear of the puke that might come overtakes me and I can't think straight. She doesn't protest so that's what she gets. Kids like repetition anyway. I like to think my lullabies are soothing and calm and help her fall asleep faster.
And then there's Dan. Usually it's his pleasure to rock Cate to sleep at night. I take care of Danny and he gets Cate. Dan's choices of soothing, calm lullabies are slightly different than mine.
Last night I heard him singing a song to her about goober peas. It's one of the songs in his ukulele book. As if lulling his baby girl to sleep with lyrics about eating boiled peanuts wasn't enough, he moved on to the crawdad song. You know, listening to someone sing about fishing for crawdads always puts me in the mood for sleep. Especially the line about what to do when the lake runs dry (sit on the banks and watch the crawdads die). My eyelids are getting droopy just thinking about it.
If it's a really good night, Cate will be treated to a rousing rendition of God Bless America. That's one of Dan's favorites (Danny's too). Patriotism is a sleep aid, right?
Sometimes I think Dan would be happy to teach Cate to rock herself to sleep so he can sit in her room and play the ukulele as he sings his "lullabies."
Goober peas.
Dead crawdads.
God Bless America.
honk shoooo
honk shoooo
honk shoooo
