We said goodbye to our rocking chair this week.

It was the yellow glider rocking chair and ottoman we bought before our 5-year-old son was born, the one my husband warned was too expensive, but he says that about many things.

Several times a day for several weeks after Guillermo was born, I sat in that chair, struggling to nurse him until I finally sought the help of a lactation consultant.

I cuddled my son up in that chair and watched him fall asleep in that chair. I, too, slept many hours in that glider, stumbling to it in the middle of the night to feed a hungry baby. “I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes,” I would tell myself but then wake up to find that several hours had passed or that the sun was now shining.

I developed some horrible habits in that chair, habits that took many years to undo. Frequently, I would give into Guillermo’s request for one more book at nighttime. That meant several nights I would read him eight or nine books before he would go to bed. (We’ve now limited him to just two.)

Guillermo didn’t put up a fuss when we hauled the chair out of his room and into the room that would soon be where his baby sister would sleep. He had a big boy bed and a red chair just his size.

Maya and I spent a lot of time snuggling in that chair, but I had wised up by the time she was born. Two books, no more.

I sang to both of them in that chair, wiped away their tears in that chair, made silly faces with them in that chair and listed all of the things they could one day become.

Now, we’ve outgrown it, sort of.
 
When Maya moved into her big girl bed, I had grand visions of toy and book shelves and a table and chairs in her room. The chair that once provided so much comfort had to go.

If we had a basement or an extra room, I absolutely would have held onto it. Instead, I followed the advice of a friend and took pictures of Maya as she sat in it one last time. (I have plenty of Guillermo, who will barely sit still for a picture these days.)

Now, it’s at the house of a young couple as they prepare to welcome their first child, a girl, in a few weeks.

I hope they enjoy it as much as we did. I’m pretty sure they will.

Natalie appears Sundays on TriangleMom2Mom. Read more about Natalie at her blog A Day at the Park.