Mother Abigail

He does not like it in a crib,
(Forgive me if I'm being glib),
He'll fight it in a bassinet,
Not much luck there- at least not yet,
And ditto with the pack n' play,
On nearly every single day.
He squirms and squeals within my arms,
He seems immune to all my charms.
He might perhaps, just catch a nap,
If I will offer up my lap.
But if I am to set him down,
I should expect a tiny frown,
Followed by a whimpering cry,
A building scream, a drawn-out sigh.
He is unhappy on his back,
Tucked in a blanket, or a sack.
His tummy gives us no recourse-
As he just ends up on all fours.
We've even tried it on his side,
And in our bed, and on a ride.
Stroller, sofa, or easy chair.
He does not sleep long ANYWHERE!

And, yes, I did just come up with that while trying to get Michael back down for the third time in less than two hours.  This. Has. Got. To. End.

But, on to the real point of this post, which is to celebrate a new side of Little Miss Abigail: the Mommy.

While I was too slow grabbing the camera to catch Abby grabbing up Michael's binky from the swing to gently place in his mouth (which was pretty amazing in light of the fact that she's going through a bit of a binky-dependent phase in which she often requests one throughout the day, or tries to steal Michael's to use), I did have it out and ready for this little gem of a moment.

Abby picks up her nearby teddy bear, places it in the swing, and begins to strap it in.

She only got one leg in, but not a bad job, all-around.

But I really started to (silently) squeal with delight when, after admiring her work, Abby began to lovingly rock the swing back-and-forth with her arms.

And more Big Sister moments followed.

Picture this: Michael on the floor, practicing his crawl.

And occasionally stopping for a break.

Abby gets down there with him to hang out for a bit and (totally unprompted) gives him a little kiss.

Then, after (seemingly, despite her expression) enjoying the bite she took of this maraca...

...she offers it up to Little Brother to try.

She's even opening her mouth in silent encouragement!

Mikey likes it!

I'm loving the camaraderie.  I can see the seeds of their future scheming being planted here.

And because I'm already feeling remorseful about my earlier feelings of frustration and resentment, I'll end with this picture, which- despite its incredible over-exposure, and really, because of it- I love, love, love.

It's like the perfect illustration of the love and affection I feel for him, surrounding him, bathing him in light.  My sweet, sweet, beautiful, baby boy.  If only I could wrap him up in love like a blanket, that he could feel my warmth and comfort always, even apart from me.

If only he could sleep.