I am Stealing Baby Snuggles

I have a confession to make. I have been stealing snuggles. From a baby that is not my own. From a cute little boy who is under 3 months old but like my babies is about 15 pounds already.

He is totally not mine. He is a dear friend’s unexpected gift. The beautiful uh-oh that some of us are lucky enough to receive (mine is almost 5, when the hell did that happen? And more importantly how have we managed to keep her alive this long????).

He’s a beautiful healthy fourth child with three older siblings who are close enough in age to my four and more importantly all play together beautifully. So much so that neither I nor their mom minds looking after the other’s kids because it ends up being less work for us, less cranky whining and more kids outside. We joke that we just have to throw food at them from time to time and other than that we can ignore the collective 7 of them.

But I have been stealing snuggles from this wee one. His parents don’t mind. They are both staying at home full time and are happy for anyone else to hold his royal heaviness for a while. When we can visit on weekends my hubby also comes to snuggle this wee one. And I am reminded of that side of my husband that only comes out when holding the very small. He’s got a special smile just for the babies in our lives.

Before the arrival of this community baby, I was considering one more. I approaching 40 so it seemed like a good time to think about if we were fully done having kids or not. But after spending a while with this one and being reminded of everything that comes with a newborn… We’re done. Seriously. We’re good over here!

Because the joy of getting to help look after this small one and getting to visit him on an average of every 10 days or so, is that we only get the best parts. One time I arrived on a day where he had been cluster feeding all night and his mum was more than happy to hand him off, and the timing was such that he took a three hour nap on me. JOY.

He’s a pretty happy baby most of the time from what I gather but I am so very grateful he is not interrupting my sleep. I am also grateful not to have nursing mama brain, as my dear friend complained today when she couldn’t get words out, that she does know words, she’s a writer for goodness sake!

I would happily change his diaper, and I am totally signed up for helping keeping him alive for the next few years (I always found mobile to 3 especially difficult to parent) especially since it will be just for visits and then he will go back home and back to his mother and family.

Especially since he comes with his other siblings that keep my kids super busy playing outside and making stuff.

Especially since right now he usually just needs someone to hold him, bounce or walk him around and now that he is starting to make smiles, someone to make faces with. I intimately know the signs of hunger from a nursling and I am happy to hand him off.

Maybe this is what being a grandparent is like? Getting the snuggles and the sleepy cuddles without all the gross bodily fluids? Getting to see the light in my daughter’s eyes when they get to hold him. Feeling like I am giving back for all the help I asked for and received when mine were small. I really don’t mind. We are happy to help.

And the reward of baby snuggles are more than worth it. I remember how relieving it was to have someone else hold my baby for a while.

Hopefully, we are helping to provide breaks to this family. And it’s not really just our selfish desire to hold this sweet little soul. Who this time next year we will be kept safe as he starts to really explore the world and get into all the things that we all must get into when we start walking around. I know how fleeting this time is. Every time I see him he is bigger, our visits are infrequent enough that I can see the growth, but frequent enough that he recognizes me when I get to hold him, and snuggles right in.

So that’s it I confess! I am a baby snuggle steal-er! And I don’t plan on changing it anytime soon!