Bedtime

It seems that we are constantly battling the clock now that Cale is here. Our typical weekday is a race from the time the alarm goes off (or more likely Cale wakes up prematurely) until we get home from work.

We race to get out of the house, to get Kristin to work for morning biopsy sign out, to drop Cale off at daycare, to the office, through the impossibly short work day, to pick Cale up by 5:30pm, and to get ready for the next day.

But, from around 6:00 to 7:30 pm, we forget about the clock. This short 1.5 hours each weeknight is a simple cycle of infant activities, shared laughs, and new accomplishments. Every night, Kristin and I take in this precious family time and glow in awe of our beautiful son.

Starting at around 6:45, Cale's internal clock notifies him he is both hungry and tired, and the bedtime routine begins. We mix his cereal and feed him, struggling to get the spoon past his hands and into his mouth. Once finished, it's up to the changing table, where we share our last few laughs and playtime for the day.

Once the diaper is changed and the PJ's are on, my almost constant sense of urgency comes to a complete halt. While Cale nurses I just relax and listen to his soft coos and sighs. When finished, Kristin and I slowly rock him together next to his crib until he is to the brink of sleep. Then, with me starting, one by one we tuck him in, kiss his forehead, whisper a goodnight, and tiptoe out of his room over the creaky wood floor.

Bedtime with Cale and Kristin is my most cherished part of day. The moment we leave his room the urgency returns and we begin to get ready for tomorrow. And every night, I'm sad that I won't see Cale for another 11 hours...