Week Nights
When I say you love sleep like your dad, I mean it. Someone could honk their horn 4 blocks away and it would wake me from a dead sleep. On the other hand, the alarm can go off, I can turn the lights on, and still sometimes I have to hit Tom to wake him up.
Usually I try to put you down for a nap when we get home from daycare. You don't sleep enough there during the day, and in my mind more sleep is always better. You usually go down when we get home at 4:30, and hopefully wake up an hour later. When you hadn't woken up by 5:45, I decided to help things along. You see, I needed you to wake up so you could eat dinner and then go back to bed. It seems stupid but if you don't wake up, you'll get angry around 10pm and demand food. If I didn't give you the nap, you'd melt down. It's a delicate balance.
I went into your room and started speaking to you softly, while picking up some of your toys. I went over and rubbed your head and patted your back. I spoke to you a bit louder. I turned on the hall light. I turned off the sound machine. This alone will usually result in you shooting out of bed in the mornings if Tom does it. It didn't work so I turned on your bedroom light. I stole your pacifier right out of your mouth. Nothing. Patted your back some more. Shook you a bit. Let's just say, if you weren't snoring and moving your lips as if you still had a pacifier, I might have been worried.
You eventually woke up, and demanded a bottle. You were still sleepy, still out of it. Moving at half speed. Sitting on my lap, blinking slowly, lifting one arm up and then letting it fall back down. You like to cuddle after a bottle, so you spun around in my arms so I'd hold you over my shoulder and hug you. You pulled back a bit and studied my face. And then you opened your mouth, and slowly leaned in.. and wrapped your lips around my nose. Pulled back, and then did it again. Over and over again. I think you were kissing me? Tom and I were laughing and you kept doing it over and over. Finally Tom got out his camera to try and film it, and you did it one last time, except this time you blew on my nose.
Then you happened to notice that the kitty was sitting on the back of my chair, just over my shoulders. You got excited and woke up a bit, and started to pet her tail. Over and over, getting happier each time she didn't jump away. Pet, giggle. Pet, giggle. Until she did finally jump off the chair and find a more isolated spot for her nap.
I find myself looking back at how quickly the weeks and months have gone by and wonder "what have we been doing? Where did those days go?" This is where. This is a perfect example of what we're doing day in, and day out.
Of course there are big things too. Last weekend I went on two dates with friends, without you! The first was to a tag sale to buy clothes for you, so I'm not 100% sure that counted, but the next day I managed to see a movie! In the theaters! Of course when it was over I found myself rushing back to you as quickly as I could so I could squeeze you before you went to bed.
But more often than not, it's small moments. Each day so much the same, but a little bit different. Arguing with you as to whether you can fit two pieces of cantaloupe in your mouth at the same time. Declaring dinner over, only to have you shove a piece of apple in your mouth to prolong eating time. Trying to read you a story when all you want to do is eat the book.