nighttime

Nighttime is sweet.

Darin gets Lucy to bed; I take Polly. They usually have a bath together first, around 8 pm,

then Lucy wants about a million books but Polly just wants to nurse and have peace and quiet, so we go into separate rooms. I bring Polly back into our bedroom a little later and she sleeps in our bed.

Both wake up for snuggles several times a night. Lucy sleeps in her own bed, next to ours. Darin ends up spending much of his sleeptime there. 

I like to have them close at night; I like the smell of them and the feel of their breath. My mom asked me if I miss sleeping and cuddling next to just Darin. I said not really because we both know this won't be a very long period of time in our lives. We have a lot of years to snuggle just each other, and we'll be missing these babes.

Nighttime is good for me. I like to get things cleaned up and organized. I come up with ideas; I write in my journal, list things I want to do this week. I might make a page in Polly's babybook. I post items in my etsy shop, I might even write a quick blog. Once in a while Darin and I watch a movie together, this is when I am most certainly guilty of having a large bowl of ice cream, preferably with coconut sprinkles and chocolate syrup. I love to have the dishwasher running, floors swept, laundry folded and put away, little dolls dressed with their bonnets on waiting for Lucy to find them in the morning, puzzles put back together and books neatly stacked. 

Of the whole day, I feel prettiest late at night when I take out my contacts, put on my glasses, take down my hair, change into pajamas. I almost always sleep in a nightgown. This white cotton one has buttons so it is easy to nurse in and has been my favorite this summer.

Every night I go to bed around midnight or one. We still have the windows all open, and most of the time the fans are on too. I braid my hair, brush my teeth, and get a big glass of water. I make sure there's chapstick near the bed. (Probably in the pocket of the cosleeper bassinet that has become a storage rack.) I nurse Polly one last time and check Instagram or the ole fb on my ipod while Darin reads. I then read a little bit before I turn out the light on my side of the bed.  I sleep well, interspersed with brief wakings with my nursling. In the summer the cats don't really sleep with us, but usually Billy comes looking for a snuggle in the wee hours at some point. Often there's a windowsill leap; Darin gets scratched in the descent and wakes with a start and a curse. I look forward to winter when he'll crawl under the covers and purr, or at least sleep on my legs. 

I like the mystery of the nighttimes inside each family's home. What is your nightly ritual? What do you have to do before bedtime? What do you wear to bed? Where do you sleep, and what's your family's sleeping arrangement? If you don't mind shedding light on your sweet mysteries.

And now I bid you sweet dreams and good night my friends.