the songs we sing

Every night before my little boy sleeps, I rock him in the rocking chair and we sing songs together. It all started with a simple song I made up that I would sing to him while I was pregnant. The only words to that song are "baby, ba-a-aby" to a lullaby-like tune. It has always calmed him. One night last fall he just started singing along when I would sing it. I almost died of the cuteness--his little voice and his pronunciation of the word "baby" (almost like "bobby") were just too much! I loved that he was singing along to a little tune I made up and sang to him while he was just the size of a pea in my womb. Now he substitutes other words for baby. Sometimes he sings "mommy" or "daddy" or "monkey" or "punkin." Then this past Christmas season, I got a small stack of Christmas books out of the library to read him. One of them was an illustrated "Little Drummer Boy." One night on a long car ride where my husband was driving and I was sitting in the back with my little guy, I got out this book and started showing him the pages and singing the song to him. Every time I would finish the book and the song he would say "again." Shortly after, he started asking me to sing "pum, pum" at night. Then in the next week or two, he started singing along! He sings almost every word, and I really can't stand the cuteness. Not to mention, he is right on pitch!
Before November, the only songs he really ever tried to sing along to were the ABC's and Twinkle, Twinkle and a song about Noah on one of his little CDs. Over Christmas, I started adding a new Christmas song every few days, so much of our "repertoire" is still Christmas. I thought I would list as many of our nighttime songs as I can think of. I love this little "tradition" we have. My little boy doesn't go to sleep easily--never has, so sometimes he will sing his little heart out [quite loudly] in an effort to stay up just a little longer, but he often ends up softly singing or humming himself right to sleep. I can't think of a more precious way for a little one to fall asleep.
Here are our songs (the ones I can remember right now):
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
ABC Song
The Little Drummer Boy (otherwise known as "pum pum")
Silent Night
Away in a Manger
Angels We Have Heard on High
Amazing Grace
You Are My Sunshine
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The B-I-B-L-E
Jesus Loves Me
Father (Spirit, Jesus) I Adore You
Can't Take My Eyes off of You
Baby, ba-a-aby (my made-up song to him)
Sleep, Baby, Sleep
Brahm's Lullaby
I know there are more, but it's late and I'll have to come back and list them as they come to me. I love the gift of music, and to my ears there is little more precious than hearing my little child sing. I don't ever want to forget these times.