Lullabies

I have this thing where I don't remember lullabies when I'm rocking my babies. What ends up coming out of my mouth is humming tunes of Christmas songs. A few weeks ago I was at Jenny's house, swaying with Hope, humming Silent Night. It comes so natural that I forget I'm doing it. This time, Brad was sitting on the couch and popped his head up -- "Is someone humming Christmas songs?!" Ha.

A few nights ago, after I had rocked Hope to sleep, Emmalyn asked me to rock her. She curled up against my chest and I started to hum Silent Night. She sat up, looked at me and said, "No mommy, not that one. Sing the song about the little girl." I have one song that I've been singing to her since she was a newborn – Que Sera, Sera by Doris Day. My mom sang it to me when I was little, and it's stuck with me ever since. I generally just sing two verses, over and over again, and apparently it's stuck with Emmalyn as well.

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother
What will I be
Will I be pretty
Will I be rich
Here's what she said to me

Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be

I don't know how long she'll let me rock her before bed, but I know it's not forever and that it will be over before I know it. So I smell her hair, wrap her up, and sing my childhood song in the darkness. Maybe one day she'll sing it to her babies...

Photo of Emmalyn at 3 weeks old by Studio 222 Photography