A gift to cherish

Shai has been under the weather. Runny nose. Fever. Cranky. Dosey. Cuddly. He wants to be close to me all the time. This means the sling.

Oh how I cherish the sling. Now that he is just over the two year mark he rarely agrees to be in the sling, there is too much to explore on foot. It is a treat to have him there, snug against me. I have missed this special closeness. Feeling his warmth, his little jumps when there is something exciting, the heaviness of his body when he totally relaxes. Its a language all of its own, that the two of us share, like a secret code. I feel him tense if someone invades that space, letting me know to step back, without a word. The comfort it provides just nestling in close, moving our bodies together as one....again.

The gift of having my hands free to work, wipe noses and truly multitask, while also having him close to me where we both want him to be. This seems especially true when he is sick. But it was just as much a gift when he was a new born, the sling mimicking the womb. In the early months providing a cradle for those many naps. Then the growth spurt nursing sprees, which seemed to go on forever, could be given on 'the go'. The days when bravery of exploring quickly turned to uncertainty and in need of security, the sling never failed. So many days wearing my baby (babies) has been truly a saving grace.

Those sling days have slowly become more spread apart, the desire to explore on his own, or just needing a quick cuddle are becoming more common. We aren't done with the sling, but from past experience I know this is something we will seeing less and less of. Sigh. While I don't love seeing him sick, I do cherish these days where we spend it heart to heart, truly connected.