Night, Night

The rest of my house is fast asleep. The nighttime routine around here in itself is enough to make anyone tired. Baths, bedtime snacks, preparations for the next day...the list never ends. Just when I think I can go to bed, another task that needs to be taken care of pops into my head. This time is priceless I know so let me ponder the great things about it.

I have a husband who is run ragged as he has put in a full day of work plus a long baseball practice regime. When I finally do nudge him over to his spot in the bed, he'll wake up and give me a big squeeze and tell me that he loves me and then go right back to sleep in an instant. (If he reads this, I bet he won't remember ever doing this.)

I have a three year old who was so excited that he couldn't nap today because he was going to play with his "boys." No nap means he is extra worn out. Just after Maeve was born, he finally decided he could go to sleep in his bed up stairs. I guess it had to be his decision, not one that we forced on him. I love to lay down with him up there. He ponders life's biggest questions as he winds down the day. Tonight's was, "Mama, whose stomach did you come out of?" He has been really consumed with knowing these kinds of facts. He says his prayers in all sincerity. His prayers are simple and to the point. He says exactly what is on his heart. I love to tell him, "I love you" just to hear him sweetly say in return, "Love you too."

I have a two month old who is fast asleep after eating for the last time of the day. She's settled in to quite the routine already. She eats one last time then stays awake for just a little bit. She's been going about 8 hours at night before she needs a little more milk in her tummy. She usually wakes up to eat again sometime in the five o'clock hour. She doesn't cry loudly when she wakes, she just makes a little "uh huh, huh" sound to let me know that she needs a dry diaper and, while I'm at it, a little something on her stomach to top her off for a few more hours. She is still sleeping in our room in the cradle that was her daddy's. (I just can't bear for her to be so far away from us yet in her big crib.) I love being able to wake up and listen for her tiny baby sighs.

Lest I forget the brown weenie dog that requires the least out of me at night. After making sure he's gone outside to take care of his business, he's usually eating his dogfood. (He waits to see if he will be getting anything better before he eats for the day.) Then, usually before any of us are ready to get into our beds, he's curled up in his. His bed is in the corner of our room beside our bed. He sleeps hard at night and snores loud enough to wake me up during the night. I don't know what makes him so tired. He spends a good portion of his day in bed doing this exact thing!

As for me, I just had to take care of this post before turning in. Maybe I will also freshen up my flowers, fold another load of laundry, read a chapter in a book...nahhhh. Not tonight. I'm joining the rest of my family. Night, night!