Cuddlebug

Ellie has become quite the cuddler. And I LURVE it.

When she was just a wee babe, I was so bummed that she didn't want to snuggle with me on the sofa. She didn't mind being held for short periods of time, but for the most part, she'd get uber cranky if you passed the 10 minute mark. And she didn't really like being held while you were sitting down; you HAD to be standing up. Otherwise, she wanted no part of it. Give me my bouncy seat, Woman! Let me go!

I think part of it was the colic. She was just uncomfortable those first 3 months. Her tummy constantly bothered her. She couldn't do tummy-time at all. All she wanted was her bouncy seat to help break up the bubbles in her belly. Poor little sweatpea.

Occasionally at night, once the stomach upset had subsided, she liked to be held (and bounced) to sleep. I loved it, but I dreaded it too. I loved the closeness, but there always came that point where you had to put her down in her crib, and if you did it too early, she screamed holy hell. If you waited too long, the loss of the heat from your body would wake her up, and again, she'd scream holy hell. We figured out the magic number was 7. 7 minutes of holding and bouncing, and she was good to go for the night.

I wished that maybe, when she got a little older, her aversion to cuddling would relent. And lucky me it did!

Ellie is the most awesome cuddler. She molds into your body, she'll hold your hand or finger while your cuddling, and occasionally she'll give you a quick kiss. In the morning, she puts her head in your lap so you can play with her hair. In the evening, she'll lay down next to you so you can rub her back. She hugs, she gently puts her hands on your face and cradles it (and occasionally shakes it from side to side because it's funny), she'll snuggle her face into that soft space under your chin in the hollow of your neck, and she'll gently pat you on the shoulder or back for reassurance. Once in a while, she lets out a sigh of contentment.

I could live on this stuff. I really could.