Precious moments

The past few nights Eliana has been having some fussy periods in the middle of the night.  She has still been sleeping for 4 or 5 hours straight the first time I lay her down, but then when she wakes up at 3am, she stays awake for 90 mins to 2 hours.  She sleeps so well, then wakes up, eats, and stays awake.  I will rock her to sleep, lay her back down in her bassinet, and then go to bed myself.  After just a couple of minutes, Eliana is awake and crying, wanting to be held again.  It has been frustrating for me because I've met all her needs - clean diaper, full belly, wiped the puke off her head - what more does she want?  Doesn't she know that it is the middle of the night and she should be sleeping?  I find this harder to deal with than waking up several times through the night.  At least then I knew that after she ate, she would fall asleep and I could go back to bed.  With this new middle of the night awake and fussy period, I just never know how long it is going to last.  I rock and rock and rock her, but still her stubborn little eyes are wide open.  When she does finally close them, I try to lay her down.  I say a prayer "Lord, please just let her stay asleep.  Please don't let her puke and wake herself up.  Please Lord, I just want to sleep!"  But it doesn't work.  I lay her down, she cries, and I have to pick her back up.  So I ask the Lord, "Why aren't you answering my prayer?"  And that's when I heard God say there will be plenty of time in the future when Eliana will sleep through the night.  But not now.  Right now, this is what she needs.  She needs you to be there for her when she cries.  She needs you to rock her back to sleep.  She needs you to just hold her for a while longer.  Cherish these moments.  She will grow up all too quick.  This is your chance to give unconditional love to my precious child, my gift to you. 
And so I have stopped praying that Eliana goes right back to sleep after she eats.  Instead, I am now praying that the Lord give me patience and strength to rock my baby as long as it takes.  And I thank Him for giving me the gift of these precious moments I get to spend with my daughter in the middle of the night.  It's our time to be together, my time to show my child just how much I love her.  There will be time for sleeping later.  But for now, I'm just going to enjoy our middle of the night bonding time.