Singing Sweetly

A couple of nights ago, I moved Anna out of our room. This is always my first official step to teaching my babies a bit of independence. To learn to soothe themselves back into sleep rather than me jumping at each whimper in the night.

The benefits are huge. Baby learns to deal with herself, thus learning to sleep soundly through the night better. Oh, and I get a new lease on life. Nothing like eight hours of shut eye to rejuvenate a Mommy after the few weeks of postpartum sleep deprivation.

The first night was smooth sailing. Anna went down at ten, Anna came up at seven-ish. And the angels in heaven sang a lovely chorus. Last night, Anna went down a smidge after ten, and came up at five-thirty. Not quite eight hours, but still, who's counting?

Me.

But I slept well in the mean time. Except for one brief episode where the angels that had been singing all day yesterday were given a run for their money.

I have absolutely no idea what time it was, since I have to actually sit up to see the illuminated alarm clock that sits across the room. I just know that when I did wake up, I smiled, jabbed my sweet hubby in the side and commanded him to listen.

Anna was being a little fussy. I might have gone in to check on her, rub her back, or make sure she could get her fist in her mouth had it not been for the music I was hearing. You see, I moved her into Thomas' room, just across the hall. Close enough for me to hear her if she needed me, but not so close that I heard every sweet grunt she made.

I thought since Thomas is a pretty sound sleeper, he would miss all the sweet little noises babies make in the night. He was, however, so excited at the chance to share his room with his baby sister that his ears must have been tuned in to listen for her more closely. I could see just enough to tell that he was standing next to her bassinet, gently reassuring her that she was not alone. And singing.

He was singing the lullaby that I have sung to all of my children. He was softly and lovingly crooning to Anna a song that was familiar to both of them. She settled down and was quiet again, and Thomas stood there for a couple more seconds. He whispered something to her (I can only imagine what) before he crawled back up in his bed.

I stayed in my bed and tried not to bawl, but still shed a few sweet tears as I marveled at the love that I had seen. It is a memory I know I will hold dear for years to come, my boy caring for his littlest sister.