The Babies

Sunday was my last day in the nursery until next summer, and I went out on a high note.  “High note” in a church nursery means we had three caregivers for four babies, all either wonderfully good-humored or adorably sleepy.  Well, there was that moment when Will, shrieking happily and waving a toy around, accidently bonked himself in the face with it and clearly believed the toy had attacked HIM, completely unprovoked, resulting more in hurt feelings than real injury. 

When Lynn and I decided to take on this project, we had similar feelings about the “sacrifice” we’d be making, and I think felt rather smug about the commitment and the hard work.  I mean, 8AM to 11AM on a SUNDAY MORNING? We’re not talking showing up at 9:00 and handing the kids back to their parents at 10:15.  I’m talking, get there at 8:00, start setting the place up, sanitizing the rubber mat and all of the toys, getting the sign-up sheet ready and setting up the portable cribs and camp-style rocking chairs.  THEN the babies start arriving, and there are always parents attending a class between services, and the 11:15 crew doesn’t show up til 11:00 – hence the three hour commitment. By the time we realized that, it was too late – we’d already committed.

I don’t mean to BRAG or anything, but as the director of the whole dang children’s program told us last week “You guys rock the nursery.” I never would have believed this was something I’d be really good at.  I’ve had two kids, I know how to change diapers, I know (more or less) how to soothe a crying baby, but I didn’t know how much fun it would turn out to be.  Every baby had such a distinct personality, even at just a few months old. You know that, of course, but seeing it in action is altogether different.  Sophia (all names have been changed to protect the innocent) had a preternaturally placid disposition; Ethan was serious and (I swear) philosophical; the twins, Sam and Julia, had the patience and self-sufficiency that comes from double-teaming a single mom, and accepting that your every need is not going to be met immediately. Adorable Chloe, who screamed incessantly the first four or five times she was left off, finally got to where she could hold it together, and would look grandly and triumphantly at her caregivers when one of the newbies started crying.  Oh My God. The experience put me in touch with a singular kind of innocence and purity that I have not connected with in a very long time, and I felt like a long-dormant part of me came alive again.

Remember, this was all on three hours’ sleep.  I skipped church, went home and slept until almost 4:00.  Took my walk sometime after 8:00, and I’m telling you, it was HARD.  I can’t honestly even say I walked five miles.  I forgot my camera, and lost track of the time,  it was hot and humid, I felt sluggish and uninspired, and I allowed Banks to set the pace, which was S-L-O-W.   But I’ll make up for it tomorrow, with my third early morning walk to Mi Madres for breakfast with Brian.  And I mean it, tonight I am going to the gym.