Bedtime Rocks!

Yes, you read that right. Bedtime is no longer the most feared part of the day. Over the course of the last 6 weeks, Colin has found his bedtime groove and is pretty much sleeping through the night now, with the occasional late-night...or early morning...wake-ups that require a quick soothing hug from Daddy. I will admit, when it was happening 5 or 6 times a night, I was absolutely dreading it. But lately Colin's been very clingy to Anita during the day, so much so that I actually find myself looking forward to bedtime when I can give him a bath and put him to bed. It usually goes pretty smoothly. He's becoming a bit more independent in the bath, which makes me laugh. He now wants to wash his own hair first before I do it. I actually find myself asking his permission to finish washing his hair. There is a definite order to everything at bathtime and bedtime (yes he's a tad bit OCD - Monk would love Colin!). But I think that order actually helps calm him down and lends us an assist in getting him to settle down and go to sleep.

But what I love most about bedtime now is setting down with him in the rocker and letting him straddle my legs and lean into my chest. We pray together, and he's begun reaching for my hand when he hears me start to pray which is just incredibly cool. I talk to him about things that I look forward to sharing with him in the future, both near and down the road. I tell him how much Mommy and Daddy love him and how much Jesus loves him. But most of all, I relish the feeling of having his arms around me, of feeling his head rest against my chest. When he's ready, we head over to his bed and I lay him down and then I kneel at the foot of his bed and watch as he drifts off into sleep. He has a tell which helps me know when he's really asleep and when he's just playing possum. When his legs are crossed at the ankles, he's asleep and I can take my leave. If his legs aren't crossed, I stay put. It's actually quite amusing to watch.

But some of my favorite times, as much as I can't believe I'm going to say this, are the times in the middle of the night when he wakes up. I don't know if he's having bad dreams or if he wakes himself up through his tossing and turning, but those occasions where he begins to fuss and it's obvious he's not going to go back to sleep, I find myself hurrying to his side to pick him up and to comfort him. He always nestles into the nape of my neck and wraps his arms around my neck. Sometimes his little fingers will stroke the back of my head. And even though I usually need only hold him for a moment, those brief times in the darkness of the early morning are worth more to me than I would have every imagined.

I'm just glad they're not occurring 5 or 6 times a night anymore. :o)