Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Good Night, Bugaboo!

Dear Nathaniel,

This post is all about your bedtime! At 7:30pm, I give you a bath and get you all snuggly and warm in your jammies. Then I put you in your sleep sack that Grandma Linda says looks just like Sweet Pea. Then we go to get your pillow. It is a white and yellow pillow with furry little lambs on it. You have had this pillow since you were a baby and it is still your favorite one. When you are all nestled on my lap with a bottle, I ask you if you would like to hear a story, a poem or a lullaby? You usually want to hear a story first, and your favorite one is "A Mother for Choco." It is a beautiful little book and you ask me to read "Choco" again and again.  You look up at me with those precious little eyes and say, "Time" which means, "One more time."


After our storytime, sometimes you ask me to read you a poem. This one is always your favorite. It is called, "Its Time to Sleep My Love." It is a poem and a children's book, too.


Sometimes I also recite "The Road Not Taken" and "Rose Pagonias" by Robert Frost, "Trees" by Joyce Kilner and "I Carry Your Heart with Me" by E.E. Cummings. But most often I recite my favorite poem to you which goes like this...

Cleaning and Scrubbing can wait 'till tomorrow
For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep

I think you like the gentle rhythm of poems because you ask me to recite them to you quite often.

After our poems, I sing to you while you are drinking the rest of your bottle. Here is your favorite lullaby, the one that I have been singing to you since you were a baby. Grandma Dibble taught it to me, and we have been singing it to you ever since.

I see the moon and the moon sees me
Shining through the branches of the old oak tree
When you see the moon won't you tell him for me
To shine for the one I love

Sometimes I change out the moon for sunshine, butterfly, ladybug, birdie, mommy, daddy, etc. like this...

I see the butterfly and the butterfly sees me
Fluttering through the branches of the old oak tree
When you see the butterfly won't you tell her for me
To flutter for the one I love

And when we run out of ideas, sometimes we get really silly!

I see the hamburger and the hamburger sees me
Flying through the branches of the old oak tree
When you see the hamburger won't you tell it for me
To fly for the one I love

Do you see what I mean? Really, REALLY silly! : )

Around 8:30, when you are cozy and sleepy and beginning to drift off, we brush your teeth and I tuck you into bed. I always say "Goodnight, I love you" And you say, "Goodnight" to me, too. We have a little game that we like to play. I say goodnight, then you say goodnight, then I say goodnight and then you say goodnight. We keep saying it back and forth until I finally shut your door for the night. It is the sweetest little game, and I love your little voice calling out, "Goodnight!" It is the best part of my entire day!

Bedtime is my favorite time of day with you. I get to snuggle with you, kiss you, and whisper in your ear. We talk all about our day, say our prayers and sing Itsy Bitsy Spider and Jesus Love Me. I would not miss this special time that I get to spend with you for anything in the whole wide world!

Good night, Bugaboo. I love you!

All of our love to you always and forever, Mommy & Daddy
xxxooo

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