We stayed with my in-laws in Tampa to celebrate Tucker’s cousin’s wedding, and our mornings were a respite from a dull, foggy February - sunny, slow, restful, and needed.

We were there the weekend of spring forward, so traveling with a newborn to a new state while losing an hour of sleep seemed like a recipe for disaster. But the Lord is good and Amelia is super smart.

The traveling was surprisingly easy - she fussed a bit in the terminal, too tired and too overstimulated to nurse or sleep. But by the time we were up in the air, she had calmed and barely cried throughout the flight. She nursed on the way down and passed out as we were deplaning. It was wonderful to discover we have a baby that travels well.

The next morning, she decided to wake one hour earlier than her normal morning wake time. I guessed she wanted to get a jump on spring forward, so by the time it came, she woke at her “normal” time that Sunday morning. We’ve been blessed to have a baby that started sleeping through the night at about 8 weeks old - something I was sure would be hindered by a new state, new bed, new smells and sounds. But she slept soundly, save waking one hour earlier for a few days.

At 6am, she cried out for attention (she just squeals until we get her, it’s all very civilized). I scooped her up, we made coffee together, and then she nursed until the sun crept over the pond outside. When she finished, we took my coffee and her sleep sack outside to one of the rocking chairs and enjoyed the slow morning.

The sun glittered the dewy grass and green pond, birds neither of us were used to chirping happily in the trees and air. Mosquitos feasted on my legs, but still we rocked and giggled together until I was hungry. We walked across the backyard from the back house where Tucker, the baby, and I stayed to the big house where the rest of the family still slept.

The ground was warm and wet, the early sun taking its time to dry the grass. We entered a dark, quiet house and made some breakfast before trekking through the yard again, back to the rocking chair. I’ve decided I need a rocking chair back home - what are summer mornings for except rocking your nursing baby back to sleep for a sunny morning nap?

After her first morning nap and second morning feeding, Tucker would occupy the second rocking chair with a coffee of his own. We’d pass Amelia back and forth, adding to the morning sounds with baby talk as she cooed and squealed back at us. We spent all our weekend mornings that way and I’ll remember those mornings forever.

Our first spring with our first child, in Tucker’s childhood backyard, the moments rocking back and forth, back and forth, for a few blissful mornings.

A respite indeed.