Aroha, Arohanui

Last night I had an interesting experience with Lily. Around 1am she woke up and was whimpering. I left her for a few minutes, hoping she would soothe herself back to sleep. Slowly she started crying and I got up and went to her. She nursed hungrily for awhile, and let out some nice toots- something made her gassy I guess (who knows, this girl can toot with the best of them!). Anyways, after nursing for the better part of 90 minutes I was exhausted and she really need to go back to sleep. I had tried putting her in her bed a few times, but I guess her belly hurt too badly. I tried holding her belly to belly on me, but that made her arch her back and scream. The only position she was happy in was literally, her 'happy place'. Well, I wasn't up for that so I got her binky, and tried again to hug her to my chest. She was screaming but I took a deep breath to remain calm and started singing a song I learned in New Zealand to her...
Aroha, Arohanui
When a baby smiles, out comes the sun
Aroha, Arohanui
Love to all, love to everyone

Well... it did the trick! she was calmed down by the time I completed this short song one time, and asleep shortly after that. It may have been just a fluke, who knows. My girl and I have had this kind on connection since hours after her birth. The Peds doctors wanted to keep her with them for observation overnight, but the couldn't get her to settle and stop screaming. The minute they laid her next to me she was sound asleep. My Lily Girl. I can't believe she is 10 months old in a few days...

When I looked up the meaning of the Maori words this is what I found, it makes perfect sense to me :)


The word “Arohanui” is a Maori word and, as with many Polynesian words, there is no direct translation into English. The literal meaning is “big love”, or “much love” or “great love”. And, like most words in most languages, it has several meanings. In naming this book, “Arohanui: Letters from Shoghi Effendi to New Zealand”, “Arohanui” is used in its more expressive meaning, “enfolding love”, or “that love which binds a community together”, or “that love which creates bonds of mutual trust and loyalty”, or “that love which builds and carries forward culture or civilization”.