Caleb isn’t one to sit still. At six months, he isn’t one to sit at all, but that’s neither here nor there. In general, he’s a baby that prefers to be occupied. He’s not a fan of simply sitting and snuggling, even sitting to read books strikes him as a little dull, and most of the time I understand: there’s a lot to explore in this world, a lot to figure out, and I would guess that growing bodies itch to be moved. But as one who would be content to sit and stare at nothing for hours on end without ever getting bored, I am at times overwhelmed by the constant energy required to keep Caleb entertained and happy.

All of that to say that some of my favorite times with my son are immediately after he wakes up from a nap. Whether he wakes up happy or sad, he usually takes five to ten minutes to fully come alive again. Rather than leaving him to do this on his own or rushing him into a diaper change and a new activity, I’ve started taking advantage of this time. Together we’ll sit in the chair in his nursery and rock as we look out the window. We don’t talk, we don’t read books, we don’t sing songs, we simply sit.

I know that at six months it’s not important to “teach” my son about stillness and contemplation, but I hope it’s a habit we’ll continue, and I hope in some way it is formative for him, if only because his introverted mother is going to need some quiet times with her son as he grows up.