Hush little baby

Today we were reading a nursery rhyme book that we recently got. My mom had told me earlier in the week that Payton had nearly started crying when she saw a picture of a mommy rocking a baby to sleep. My mom assumed that Payton was just missing me while I was working and said it was so sweet.

We got to that page this afternoon and it was the lullaby "Hush Little Baby", so I was singing it to Payton. This is not a lullaby I have ever sang to her before. But she had such a reaction to it, like nothing I've ever seen before. She crawled up into my lap and buried her head in my chest, obviously needing comfort. As I continued to sing, she honestly looked like she was about to cry. And it wasn't her usual whiny cry or anything like that. It was a truly sad cry, quiet with big tears. It was an emotion I'm not sure I've ever seen in her like this before.

She had me sing it again and had the same reaction. I showed it to Shannon and he sang it for her. Same reaction. She asked for it again later and I just couldn't bring myself to sing it again.

All I can think is that she's experiencing a memory. Someone must have sung this to her in her past. Maybe it was a nurse at the NICU (although she was pretty young there) or someone at the group foster home who cared for her.

It made me cry too. And I don't cry often these days...