"Muh-dher" May 28, 2008

" I know a name, a glorious name,
Dearer than any other.
Listen, I’ll whisper the name to you:
It is the name of mother.
Mother, so tender and kind and true,
I love you, I love you.
Mother, so tender and kind and true,
I love you."

Noah, my little dear, tonight your Father is away for Young Men's doing baptisms at the temple so you and I have spent the night alone together.  We went on a little walk, you in a stroller and me pushing you, all around our neighborhood to pass the time and it was so beautiful outside.  At the moment you are having an unusually hard time falling asleep.  I hear you up there banging on the door, crying, and calling for me in every way you know how.  I don't know why; I've tried everything I know of to help you go to bed so now I just sit and wait for you to decide it's time to fall asleep.  Most nights you go to bed so peacefully, but tonight's not the night for that.  I was sitting on our couch reading when I heard you resort to a very powerful toddler trick that was so hard for my mommy instincts to resist that I had to do something else or else go up there for the second time just to have the tears magically dry up and hear you tell me you want to go outside!  So, I thought I'd write about your little toddler trick instead.  Lately, and I don't know where you picked it up, but I'm glad you did, when I ask you something you have been replying, "Yes Mother" in the sweetest voice only it sounds like, "Yes Muh-dher".  It melts my heart.  Well, just now after you had called and called for me saying, "Mama!  Mama! Mom!" I hear you start pleading for me, and getting sadder now, saying, "Muh-dher".  Boy it's hard to resist the sweetness of that sound, but you really do need to go to sleep and I've already cuddled you, sang songs, read a story, read our "scriptures", said a prayer, gotten you a drink, refilled your drink, gotten all your many thermal blankies, covered you up, gotten you your "animal" blanket, kissed you, hugged you...well you get the picture.  Gee wiz...writing all that...that sounds so nice, no wonder you want me rather than to go to bed!  Off to my book.  (And it sounds like it's getting quieter up there anyway.)  Goodnight, my little Nobo.  Have sweet dreams.  I love you.