Honestly, I had given up hope, accepting as a shattered dream the joy of rocking with my babies. You don't have to know me very well, to know that I am not really much of a baby person, just ask the Darnkot family about my rule on changing diapers when asked to babysit. But you also don't need to know me very well before learning how much I love rocking chairs (and their close cousin, the swing). And so, in anticipating what it would be like to be a father, I eagerly looked forward to rocking and sing with my babies for hours on end. Little did I expect, Micah had other interests. Sure, I rocked with him on the evenings when nothing else was helping calm him down, but it was him who provided the "music" at decibels more akin to a heavy metal hair band…I was sure to have my ear plugs.
Grace followed in her brother's footsteps, refusing me more than 2 minutes of rocking silence before she insisted a change in scenery. Even to this day, if I can coax her into the rocking chair with me, I can rarely keep her there more than 60 seconds.
And then along came my Little Light – Luminitsa. I got to rock with her some while we were in the States and that was nice, but it wasn't until we moved back down-country and were reunited with our Ikea rockers, when Lumi and I began to bond. It was then that I realized that she wasn't just tolerating my rock, she was enjoying it with me. Several times per day we could be found there, sometimes for an hour or more without a peep out of her. How Great Thou Art…Marvelous Grace…He's Got The Whole World…and of course This Little Light Of Mine, made several repeats through our singing playlist.
And to make it even more special for me, Lumi has been very finicky and vocal as to who is rocking her. Andrea has her magic bullet when it comes to feeding time, but Lumi has made it very clear that I am the best one to rock with. Nearly every evening, I rush home, knowing that I have a 5:15 date in the rocking chair. Special times that will too soon be only a memory.
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