I’m lucky that my kids are decent sleepers. They go to sleep at a reasonable hour and for the most part they’re not up too early. Can we define “early” for a second? Once upon a time when it was just Annie and she would wake up every morning around 5:30, I’d have a bottle with formula ready, I’d stick it in her crib and we’d both sleep until 9. Anything before 9 was early. Once she switched to a bed, she was able to come and go as she pleased and 8 became the new 9. Let’s fast forward a few years/kids. Today, anything before 6 is early, 7 is fine and 8 is like a vacation. 9:00 wakeup is but a distant memory and that’s fine, my body has gotten used to it.
Most mornings I wake up to: “mama… mama…. Mama (at this point I’m up but pretending to be sleeping) Mama… MAMA…. MAAAAAMAAAA….. MAAAAAAMAAAAAA!!!!”
Hey sweetie, good morning!
Um, um, Mama, um, can I got to the bathroom?
Jeeeez, yes!
We pick out her clothing the night before so usually while she pees and gets dressed, I feed/change Lisi, get their breakfasts ready and have my coffee. Just as an aside, I’m not a coffee snob. I LOVE coffee, I think I drink too much but my standards are low. I do instant with raw sugar, tons of milk, ice and a fun straw. The straw is crucial because I love munching on that raw sugar. I crave this daily.
Then Judah wakes up. He’s a grump in the morning just like his daddy [EDITOR’S NOTE: unlike his mommy, who wakes up with a smile on her face and herring on her breath]. He usually has a really wet diaper, a bloody nose from over-picking and one arm through the neck-hole of his shirt. It’s kind of adorable and pathetic. I yank off his diaper and then he gives me a two minute hug. Like head on my shoulder, hands gripped around me really tight and letting out a whimper every couple of seconds. This is a really sweet moment we share in the morning and it’s great until Lisi comes in and wants in on our hug time. Like most two year olds, Judah doesn’t like to share.
And that’s pretty much how our day starts. Our night routine has also evolved over time. I’ve never been strict about naps. Selfishly, I can’t plan my day around nap time. I have this condition where I can’t sit still and I must be outside whenever possible. Well, it hasn’t been officially diagnosed but you get it, right? Annie and Judah gave up their naps way before they turned two, which made some days feel really long but there was a solid stretch where I had them in bed by 5/5:30. It was nuts and I can’t believe I ever pulled that off. That won’t fly anymore. Now it’s more like 6:30/7:00. The little ones go down just fine because they’re still in their prison beds (cribs). Annie will come out a few times but she’s smart. She’ll be like mama (I’m pretending to sleep) mama, I just want to give you one more kiss. How can I say no to that? Now I started bribing her with gum. It totally works. Annie, if you go to sleep nicely and don’t come out I’ll leave you gum by your bed. Bonus: she chews/plays with it in the morning so I get a few minutes of extra sleep!
But finally, when everyone is sleeping and it’s really quiet, I check on them. I think sleeping babies and children are the most peaceful thing one can ever witness. They should make a spa where you are surrounded by sleeping babies. Aaaah, totally the best! Imagine getting a massage and watching sleeping babies. Am I starting to sound creepy ?
Eventually Craig comes home and we watch them sleep together. There’s always that BRIEF moment of let’s wake them. NO. You never ever wake a sleeping baby. Ever. No matter how cute they look, you just don’t do it.
Sweet dreams to all!
Big Al's Pad 