Whoever wrote Rock-a-Bye Baby was a genius.

While probably an infanticidal sociopath as well, if you stop and actually consider the words.

But let's look at the genius part first.

It's a two verse, eight line nursery rhyme that's so simple to remember, you're probably able to recite it word perfect right now. And have been able to your whole life.

Probably because it was programmed into your subconscious as a baby, under somewhat the same circumstances the words are now part of my niece's DNA.

I think I was up to about repetition 38,655 when I took this photo.

I was sitting on the floor sewing, she was starting to grizzle in her baby hammock and I was softly singing Rock-a-Bye Baby over and over.

And over.

And over.

For about 20 minutes.

Wondering what kind of child-hating sadist writes a lullaby about a baby stuck up in a tree during a windstorm, then plummeting to its (probable) death when the tree branch breaks?

Or even more disconcerting, why was I singing this to a child I adore in an effort to seduce her back to sleep?

Really, it's the childish equivalent of your partner trying to soothe your exhausted nerves with a ballad like…

If only it wasn't so easily sung that it probably bypasses any conscious neural pathways, allowing you to do your tax return/write your thesis/compose The Great Australian Novel and sing your baby to sleep at the same time.

***

So what's that lusciously comfortable-looking, womb-like sling my niece Baby M is napping in?

It's called the Happy Hangup.

I swear, when you see one of these, you'd do anything to be small enough to curl up on the pillow inside and go straight to sleep.

This hangs in the living area during the day, and by her parents bed at night. Apparently Baby M will still crawl into it for naps even when she's 3 years old.

So jealous

Here's a picture of my little bubba boo hanging out having coffee with the girls (her mum and me).

*sigh* I really need a new camera.

This one's not good enough to capture the cuteness she deserves.

Wonder if I can trade the iPad for a new camera? Mr K is going to kill me for even thinking that…

xx Kiki

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