This post is only for you (and me) to remember how it became.....that you slept.
Nathan - Lately you've been making noise about what jammies you wear. It's getting to be a big to do. Once you have your jammies on, you get your binky (not for long though) and drink your milk (through a straw now) and off you are to bed. BUT WAIT. first you need loves from me and sometimes a little bit more play than we'd like. You snuggle down under your covers on the top bunk and you are out.
Ryan - You usually come to either me or mommy J 1/2 hr before your bedtime asking to get into your jammies. We know it's because you want your binky. and because you are tired. by 7pm you have "on your mark get set goed" into your jammies and had your milk...like your brother with a straw.
You however....have never been a very good alone sleeper. You still require (and Mommy J allows it) someone to sleep with you. and because Mommy J allows it. I let her do it. :)
She leaves you sleeping peacefully.....and about 1am you wake and realize you are alone and come searching. She either joins you in your bed or picks you up and throws you in our bed for the remainder of the night. I hope this habit changes soon.....you are not fun to sleep by. ;-)
Spencer - Still my best sleeper. You are the first to get your jammies on when asked. You sleep on top and after coaxing you a few times will finish playing with your brother who is still working on getting his jammies on..and you climb into bed. I have to climb on the nightstand to tuck you in. You like it when I pull all of the covers over your head and call for you as if you're lost. I love it when you poke your sweet little face out of the covers with that big smile on your face and if that darn bar wasn't in the way, although it keeps you from falling out of bed, I would bend over and kiss you.
Cameron - Whildst I stand on the nightstand covering and snuggling Spencer down in his covers.....you like to sit and bop my feet repeating, "bad feet.." Not as cute as the hide and seek game I am playing....but you laugh and laugh and sending you off to sleep with a smile on your face is worth it.
Sometimes you feel that you need to enter your bed from the bottom. It's "my special way mom" and I wait patiently as you leap from the bottom catching just enough air to get your head to your pillow. My own little supercam. :)
Sydney - By the time I've put the big boys into bed....you are already in bed and reading. I let you stay up 15-25 minutes past your bedtime so that we can read. It's a win win for us both.
I lay on your bed while you read first, and I'm right there for you to ask for help with any hard words.
After you've read, I get to read a different book to you. It's such a great time to spend with you.
You will sometimes pause mid paragraph and tell me little secrets about your day. I love our quiet time together just me and you.
You have an exact position for each of your pillows. Everything has to be perfect. I usually write a little message to you on your white board. Something about your day or something that I like about you. You like to pretend you don't read it until the morning....but I sometimes see you peaking while I'm writing. And then like your brothers before you, I kiss you and hug you and send you off to sleep.
Everything is good in the world and quiet. all by 7:45-8 pm.
And then at about 11 pm. Syd will sometimes yell out (terror) but goes back to sleep.
1am Ryan is up. Lately it's even earlier.
1:30 am Syd goes to the bathroom and needs someone to tuck her back in.
2 am Nate will usually look down to check if Mommy J is in bed with Ryan.
2:15 am Cam will come up and climb into Mommy J's spot next to me. that is, if Sydney hasn't had a bad dream and beat him to it.
by 3 am everyone but Spencer has been up and peed, talked in their sleep and changed places.
and one day I worry that I will forget about all of it. but now it's been written. I will always remember the sweet still sleeping faces of the child I'm walking back to bed. Or having a tiny little hand find the perfect place to snuggle right under my chin in the middle of the night.
Or the smell of clean hair that stays on my pillow after sharing it with a sleeping boy.
I will always remember the power that I have to calm and comfort someone after a bad dream. and how great it is to be a mom. even if it's all night long.
