You Never Know the Last Time

Cambry a few weeks old

Cambry 18 months

One day last week Cambry woke up less than an hour into her nap crying hard. She usually wakes up and just stands up and starts babbling or fussing slightly, so this was unusual. I went to her room and picked her up. She was crying so hard and wouldn't calm down. I talked to her, sang to her, and rocked her. Finally after about 5 minutes she calmed down. I am guessing maybe she had a bad dream. She has done this before where it takes her a while to snap out of it. It makes me wonder what her bad dreams could be about at this age. What bad things does she know of?

I could tell she was still tired so I rocked her back to sleep. I was about to lay her back in her crib so I could go do stuff - clean the dishes in the sink, check emails, rest, etc. But then it occured to me that all those things can wait while I enjoy these moments and let her finish her nap in my arms. It was just so precious having her sleep on me and I haven't done that in a long time. With little sis coming I know my opportunities to do this with Cambry will be even fewer. 

I was thinking about something I heard a while back. A dad was talking about how he was at the mall with his teenage daughter and saw another dad walking through the mall carrying his child. He rembered those days when his daughter was tired of walking and would want to be held. He was tired with his hands full but would give in to her request. But now that season was over for him. His daughter was past that stage and would never ask to be carried through the mall again. And you often times don't know when it is the last time you will do something.

I think of this with even the smallest things. I probably didn't know when it was the last time I would wake up to nurse Cambry in the middle of the night. Or the last time I carried her against my chest in the baby Bjorn. Or the last time I swaddled her. 

I am sure there will still be plenty of times in the years ahead when she will fall asleep in my arms. But since I probably won't know when that last time will be, I want to enjoy it as it comes.

So for this nap I just enjoyed cuddling her and praying over her and thanking God for her. I prayed for her salvation. I prayed for her future husband. For protection from sin. For a joyful spirit and a generous heart. 

Oh my precious girl.

This post is probably super sappy. I blame the pregnancy hormones :)