It is with an aching heart that I feel the little rough patches of skin beginning to develop.
Just four months ago she was enveloped in a watery cocoon where her soft sweet skin had never seen the light. So soon, that newness, that "innocence" is fading, and in its place the harsh reality of a fallen world is revealed in the little callouses on her knees and arms.
I remember my shock at seeing the little lip callous that formed with my first baby, and realizing it came from the simple act of nursing. Those soft, tender, sweet lips were already required to work, to suckle for survival.

As I rock number four in the peace of a torrential rain on a tin roof, I treasure so much more the fleeting moments of newness, the joy of just holding a baby, my baby, and ignoring the rest of the world. Let the phone ring, let the world carry on, nothing is more important at this moment. These are the instances not to be missed, not to be wished away in our hurry to ....... just have him sleep through the night.....just get her to sit up......if only he could crawl......can't wait until she learns to walk.....oh, if only he were potty-trained....it would be so much easier! No, I realize now it does not get any easier than these brief moments of newness, and I thank God for the chance to experience those moments, and finally learn to appreciate them.