Grace turned three yesterday, which means this time three years ago I was spending my day lying in a hospital bed watching TV, feeding Grace, and napping with her snuggled up next to me. Not a bad way to spend your time, in my opinion, especially with a nice nurse to bring you your meals! My hospital time with Peter was moderately traumatic, because he had an infection and was in the special care nursery, but with Grace all was well, and she stayed with me all day, and we pretty much spent the entire time snuggling. Then once we came home, it was such a nice habit, we just kept it -- I think we spent at least half of my maternity leave sleeping together in the recliner!

And now she's three. Unbelievable.

Peter, at 5 and a half, has already pretty much outgrown snuggling. He never asks to sleep in our bed anymore, though he might come in on a Saturday morning to hang out. The time goes by so fast. I'm really trying to make the most of whatever is left of Grace's baby and toddler-hood, because I know in no time at all she'll be in kindergarten, and the time for snuggling with her, singing her to sleep and rocking her will somehow have slipped away without my even noticing it.

Her favorite songs for me to sleep are the Ribbon Song (Scarlet Ribbons, the Harry Belafonte version) and the Cherry Song (The Riddle Song). Those are both songs that my parents sang to me when I was little. As bittersweet as it is to see the kids grow up, there's something very nice about thinking that in 20 or 30 years she and Peter will be singing these songs to their kids.