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A Little Night Magic

I love checking on the boys at night.

Every evening before we head for bed, Pierre and I tiptoe into each of the boys’ rooms to make sure that they are sleeping soundly. Really, I shouldn’t say tiptoe. I’m not exactly a quiet person, and neither Pierre nor I have ever made an effort to hush while the boys sleep. Not even as babies. One of the best pieces of advice that I ever received was to make noise while the boys slept as infants. And I did. I ran the vacuum, did laundry (and my washer is upstairs in the guest-room closet), played the radio or television, let Diesel  bark (not that I could have stopped him), left the windows open with yard work going on outside…you get the idea. As a result, Benjamin and Nicholas could sleep through a freight train tearing apart the house. Both are sound sleepers (don’t I wish I was too!), sleep apnea issues notwithstanding. And that being said, I’ve noticed a huge difference in Ben’s breathing since his tonsil and adenoid surgery. There is no more snoring, no more choking, and no more tossing and turning. What a relief!

On the flip-side of having good sleepers, both Benjamin and Nicholas can be extremely difficult (and more than a little cranky) to wake-up. Think trying to wake a sleepy lion without getting your hand bitten. Fun stuff.

So, Pierre and I are not quiet as we check the boys each night. We go into their rooms, adjusting covers, moving little bodies onto pillows, and removing books and toys that have somehow found their way under the sheets. It is probably one of my favorite parts of the day. Not only because my little noise-makers are sleeping (though that helps), but because of how they look when they are sleeping; how all the ups and downs and craziness of the day gets washed away as I watch each boy as he dreams. The promise of tomorrow, especially during days that have been rough, is near.

And they just look so darn cute when sleeping. Peaceful. Quiet. Extra emphasis on the quiet.

Plus, I just never know what I will find during my pre-bed check. Will head or feet be on the pillow? How many stuffed animals have found their way into the bed? Will there have been a magical pajama change between the time we put a boy to bed and the time we check on him (Nicholas is notorious for the quick PJ change). I just never know what surprise awaits.

Last night, Pierre and I found this:

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Nicholas had decided to indulge in a little light reading before dozing off. That, or he needed something to put him to sleep! Incidentally, I have no idea where that book originally came from. I stole it from my parents' basement, and my astronauts love it. 

I can’t wait for tonight.

xo Naomi 

P.S. Check out this interesting study on kids and sleep from the journal Pediatrics. 

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