Monday, June 28, 2010

Best time of day

 

These past couple of weeks I’ve taken over Noah’s bedtime routine with a vengeance.  I push Tim out of the way and demand our baby all to myself.  I want to watch him splash in the tub and create imaginary storylines between Elmo, Ernie and their boat.  I want to chase him, dripping, down the hallway towards his room, leaving the towel in his wake.  I want to slip his little feet into his jammies and hear him say “Feet INNNNN!” and giggle uncontrollably.  I want to brush his hair and his teeth and sing our songs about getting clean.  I want to help him pick out his favorite books to read and watch his face light up when we settle into our rocking chair with the well-loved story about farm animals.  I want to hold him close to me while we read “one more story, Mommy”.  I want to rock him and sing to him and run my fingers through his hair while he begins his descent into sleep.  I want to lay him in his crib and hear him ask me to “rub back please” before slipping out the door. 

 

Of course I will, baby.  Of course I will for as long as you need me to. 

 

What once was a rushed process to end our long day has become my absolute favorite time.  I get so few hours with Noah each day and I'm savoring every minute that we have together.  At this time of day, I watch the clock less and settle into the two of us resting together.  I remember reading some of your accounts rocking your babies and I never realized just how precious that time is to a working mother.  I get it now.  I really get it.


10 comments:

AndreAnna said...

So sweet. I'm glad you have this time. It is precious.

Rougeneck said...

I am so glad you have a newfound perspective. Enjoy it!!

samantha said...

This made me so warm and happy.

I told you everything was quality time now, even the day to day tasks.

I'm so glad you're loving it.

Paige said...

At night, after I nurse Carter to sleep (bad sleep training, I know) and rock and sing to him, I just sit there in his darkened nursery and hold him quietly. I listen to the thumping of his Sleep Sheep's heartbeat and the whooshing of the white noise mix on the iPod (heck yes, we double up on the white noise at Casa Carter), and I sit and stare at my precious boy. And even though each evening my mind is usually racing with the 87 billion things I need to do to prepare for the next day, during those dimly lit minutes in the nursery with my sweet boy in my arms, time stands still.

Relish it. So happy for you.

Mary said...

That is so beautiful it makes me want to cry. He is so lucky to have you for a mama.

bessie.viola said...

Oh, I love that time. I'm so glad that you get to have that to yourself, just you and Noah. :)

k said...

We've been known to throw many an elbow around our house to muscle in on bathtime. It's the best time of all.

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

This makes me even more excited to inherit a rocking chair from Sweets' parents. Seems like those precious moments are really cherished by so many parents!

Hillary said...

aww. I'm not a huge fan of bathtime, but I've been known to snatch books clean out of the husband's hands.

Erica said...

Agreed. Bedtime is such a sweet time, especially for us working gals.