the sweetest thing

Our Baby has a new move. A new skill. A new heart melting little maneuver that never fails to make me glow with happiness. 

The Baby has learned how to give hugs.  Neither of my boys are big cuddlers. They don't dislike contact, but it is usually, brief. They have stuff to do. Toys to gnaw on. Dead flies to poke at. Trains and cars and tractors to 'brmmm' around at a feverish pace. Book to de-shelve. Laundry to throw out of hampers. Drawers to empty. Castles to build. And then knock down. The list goes on. And nowhere on that list seems to be 'linger around on Mommy's lap for cuddles.' More like 'scale Mommy like a small mountain'. Not until they have the attention span for story time, and then they'll sit on my lap all day, as long as I keep the books coming. Also, now that the Little Dude is old enough to stall at bedtime, he is not above requesting "one more hug!" and specifying that it be "a sittin' up hug". Very sneaky. 

But the Baby is not so cuddly. He enjoys nursing of course, but is often an active and quick eater, who likes to get a good fist pump going on with his free hand when he's enjoying his milk. So the fact that he has learned how to cuddle/hug is so, so lovely. Here's how it works. He'll be in your arms, all freshly sleepered after a bath at the end of a long and busy day, and if you say "Where's my hug" in the right sort of sing-song-y voice, he lays he sweet little head down on your shoulder and lets himself be hugged by you.  Now that I think about it, this was also the way that the Little Dude learned to hug when he was a baby. That sort of lean in, allowing himself to be hugged thing. And I remember that when he got older, we'd have to specify that we wanted 'a hug with arms', if we wanted to be hugged back. That's not necessary any more of course. Now that he's a big three-and-three-quarters year old, he barrels up to you with a full on, boa constrictor around the neck both arms squeezer hug that I love so much. 

But this sweet soft little gesture from Our Baby... it is so, so lovely. There is not a single time that he does it that I don't just treasure the feeling.

Hubs took these pictures for me before the weekend. Today the image would be somewhat different as our sweet Baby is a little under the weather. He's working a virus through I think, and there has been some unfortunate raspberry puke, and lots of crying and general unhappiness. The poor little guy. And there have been less hugs. But just before I put him to bed tonight, he sighed and laid his weary little slightly feverish head on my shoulder and just let himself be hugged and hugged, till his breathing became the measured sound of sleeping, wherein hopefully his body will find the healing it needs to be back to his happy rambunctious self soon. 

Comments

[Marcia Van Drunen]

oh sweet boy. and papa and mama and older brother. but the baby -- AH, the Baby!
this evening my youngest was a wee bit bad and had been retaliatorily bashed by an older sister resulting in timeouts and wailing all around. and then snuggles. I cuddled with my boy and it, too, was sweet. As we were reclining on our little couch I said, "do you want to sleep with Mama?" and the wee boy, with blankie in hand and thumb in mouth said (surprising me), "Mmmm Hmmm." *sigh*

[Julia]

Love, love this, 'Dre. I totally "empathize" with your non-cuddler, too-busy-to-stop boys. I have them too! But when they finally stop and want a hug or a kiss or a cuddle, it is pure heaven on earth....

[fingertrip pulse oximeter]

lovely! having a very sweet and lovable family.