Shannon and I have been very blessed to have a baby that goes to sleep at an early hour and sleeps through the night. Like clockwork, my little boy is ready for bed at 6pm. The problem for me is that I don’t usually get home before six o’clock. Many nights I get home only to find my son fast asleep in his crib. It always makes me a little sad that I didn’t get to see him before he went down.
In the last couple of weeks he has waited for me to get home before retiring for the night. (I suspect his mom might be letting his bath go a little longer these days.) Max is still ready to go to bed when I get there, but he is awake enough for a smile and a giggle when I walk in the house. I put down my things as quick as I can and then snatch up my baby boy.
He and I will catch up on our day and maybe wrestle for a minute. That is usually when Shannon gives me the “evil eye” and says, “You DO know it’s bed time, right?” That is when we head off to his room with a warm bottle.
I sit in the rocking chair with baby Max in my arms. I turn on the iPod player loaded with baby music and hand my son his “feel good” blanket. The feel good blanket is one of those small, swatch blankets with all the different shapes and fabrics sewn to it. Max likes to rub the corduroy triangles with his index finger while he falls asleep.
For the next 15 or 20 minutes he and I sit in the dark, Max drinking a warm bottle, listening to the soft music and gently rocking. It doesn’t take long for him to drift off to sleep. (Sometimes it doesn’t take me long either.) Even after he has nodded off, I like to hold him and relax for a few minutes.
I can’t think of a better way to end the work day.
