Sleep

A lifetime ago, when I was pregnant with Abby, people would often offer tips and advice about how to prepare for life after we had children.  Without a doubt, the comment that scared me the most, was when people would say, "Sleep-in while you can, because once you have kids, you'll never get to sleep-in again."

You see, I have never been an early-riser.  I can totally see the wisdom in Ben Franklin's adage: "Early to bed and early to rise, " but unfortunately, I've never been able to incorporate it into my own life.  I've always enjoyed those late night hours when everyone else is asleep.  That's when I get my best reading, best TV-watching and best puttering done.  So, ten years ago, when I thought that kids were going to be the end of sleeping-in, it scared me a little.

There's a reason it's called, "sleeping like a baby."

If I'm being honest (and maybe a little dramatic) I have to say that my heart has ached for parents whose kids wake up before the sun.  I have heard horror stories of babies who are up every day at 6:00 am ready to start their day.  (What do you do with a child at 6:00 am?)   Fortunately for me, from the very beginning, my kids have liked to sleep-in as much as I do.  In our current situation, with school, play practice, piano lessons, soccer games and early church, we don't get to sleep in as often as we'd like, however, on days when we have nothing on the schedule, it's not unusual for my kids to sleep in until well after 9:00.

Last night, Andrew was at work overnight.  At some point during the night, Peter came and climbed in my bed with me.  I had the whole big bed with plenty of room for Peter, but his favorite way to sleep is curled up right next to me, breathing right in my ear.  At first, I tried to scoot him over to Andrew's empty side of the bed, but even in his sleep, he quickly found his way back to me.

Oh, how I love this sleepy boy.

Eventually, I gave up trying to move him, so at 5:30 this morning, when I should have been sound asleep, I lay in my bed and thought about how little time I still have with kids climbing in bed with me.   My heart grew tender as I listened to Peter's gentle breathing and to the sucking of his binky  - (yes, he's three and still has a binky.  Don't judge.)  In the pale light of morning, I looked at his hands gently cupped resting next to his head.  I felt the warmth of his little body next to mine and watched as his eyelids fluttered in his sleep.  I wanted to just freeze that minute - to keep it and preserve it, so that not-so-many-years from now, when my kids are grown, I can go back and hear that little breath and feel the warmth of that little boy.

Slowly, I fell back to sleep for an hour, with my little-son curled up next to me.  I am grateful for sleep.  I am grateful for kids who like to sleep-in, but at 5:30 this morning, I was filled with gratitude for that little boy who was making it difficult for me to sleep at all.

And, after I got up and got Abby and Isaac off to play practice, I was grateful that I got to go back in there and curl up next to my warm, still-sleeping little boy.