I have been reading some other mom blogs and wondering where these moms find the time to write so much (and to make their content so witty at that). I dream about someday having a full time nanny (or perhaps a lunch break) and being able to spend at least an hour or two a day writing new blogs, getting sponsors, following blogs, commenting on blogs and becoming a blog master within a big, blogging universe. Sigh. But, until then, I will continue to grab my daily (or sometimes weekly) 20 minutes here and there of blogging time that I am able to squeeze in between the gym and making dinner.
Well, since this is officially some of that time, let me get started :)
My son has started a new ritual with me that I adore. We stopped letting him take his late afternoon nap and he now just takes one, early afternoon nap a day. We found that this helps him go to bed early and sleep through the night. It used to be that I would rock him with a small lamp on before bed. He would sit facing the room and it was always a struggle to keep him on my lap as he would wiggle and try to get free. You know, to go do more entertaining things like banging on the wall, rolling around the room, holding his bottle upside down and shaking milk on the carpet, those kinds of things. Well, one night, about two weeks ago. I decided to rock him without the lamp on. As we sat in the pitch black room, he started wiggling and I picked him up to place him on the floor but instead he turned and placed his head on my shoulder where he soon feel into a deep sleep while I rubbed his back. Since then, this has been the ritual every night.
I must say that putting him to bed, although I always found it enjoyable, is now, hands down, my absolute favorite part of my day. Some nights, while laying his head against my shoulder, he simultaneously curls his fingers in my hair or moves his hand in a patting motion on my shoulder. Other nights, he falls asleep quickly and I sit and delight at his soft sighs and snores. Every night, I sit there, long after he has fallen asleep, just rocking him, rubbing is back, feeling the essence of him, which is all laughter and love and innocence and savoring the moment. I know that these days will go fast, too fast (they already are racing by) and I am pretty certain that, no matter how persuasive I may be, there will be no way that he will allow me to sit and rock him to sleep in my arms once he is a teenager or young adult.
So, for now, and for as long as he will let me, I will take all the time that I can to cuddle him, snuggle him and rock him to sleep in my arms. That way, even though these moments will not last forever, the memories of them certainly will.
Sweet Dreams My Son
-New Mommy In Town
