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Approximately two years ago I began working at the Morningside Baptist Church nursery after completing my 24 hours in Bainbridge story on their preschool.

I have since fallen in love with every child there.

When I began, I was caring for three toddlers and a baby just shy of turning one. Since then, the Lord has blessed the nursery with four babies: Briggs, Charlie Ann, Lainey and Micah. They are truly my whole world, but now are growing up. They have all turned one and some have even begun planning their second birthday party.

The last time I saw them was in March just before COVID-19 shut everything down. They have since started talking more, eating new things and some are even counting to 10.

Sunday, July 5, I returned back for my first day of nursery and was met with two toddlers, while everyone else was still on vacation. I was a little sad when one of them started crying and hiding behind their dad. They didn’t recognize me, and most definitely didn’t want to come in the nursery and watch Blues Clues or even Bubble Guppies with me.

Finally, I picked him up and carried him over to the trucks, where I promised we could race them if he wouldn’t cry. He wiped those tears and his parents quietly snuck out.

I didn’t realize how much I had missed seeing “my babies.”

I am not a mother, so I can’t compare the love I feel for them and the joy they bring me to anything they must bring their parents, but I truly felt such a sense of happiness being reunited with them.

They told me about how they were potty trained and were “big boys” now and I felt really proud of them, because they were proud of themselves. After working back there with so many little ones, I realize potty training is no easy feat for the kid or the parents so it deserves a big prize. He was rewarded with some animal cookies when he went (sorry mom).

Wednesday, I was reunited with more of my kiddos, but the happiness didn’t stop there.

By February 2021, I will have three new babies joining the nursery. I am so excited that I can hardly stand it. The toddlers don’t want to hug on you as much or take naps and will slap the bottle right out of your hand. However, I will soon get the opportunity to rock a new baby to sleep before placing them in the crib and eventually teaching them “Jesus Loves Me” or the “Hokey Pokey.”

I feel really blessed to be back and to have another opportunity to work with the Lord’s littlest angels again soon.