Babies Don't Keep - a poem.

Thank you to my friend Erin who sent me this poem when I was fighting between my need to get chores done and my want to rock my baby girl as she slept. 

I have been known to be slightly OCD in regards to keeping my house clean and tidy, but since Avery has arrived that has definitely gone by the wayside. I keep telling myself that the chores can wait because I don't want to miss the time I have with her while she is little. It won't be long until she doesn't want to be rocked to sleep, and won't want to be held like a baby,

But until then, I will soak up these precious moments and lock the memories away in my mind for the day when :::gasp::: she won't want anything to do with me at all. (I am not looking forward to years 12 through 16 for this precise reason.)

Babies Don’t Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

*Sorry for the dark photo, I didn't want to wake her with the flash.*