Putting Nathan to Bed

This is one of our favorite times with Nathan. He is so cute when we do our short bedtime routine. We take him upstairs, turn his music on, his lamp on, change his diaper and put his PJs on. He is usually somewhat hyper during this time (like you would think he wasn't ready). For instance, tonight I was giving him high fives and he was giggling hysterically every time our hands slapped together. He loves the sound. And he really cracked up when Daddy & Mommy high fived each other because the "clap" was super loud!

Depending on the time, after he is dressed for bed sometimes we will read a book or let him run around his room for awhile, climbing on daddy and pulling his toys out. But a lot times we give him his tucky (pacifier) and his monkey and the three of us huddle up (with Nathan usually in Daddy's arms) and Daddy or Mommy prays. During this prayer, without fail (recently) Nathan will "honk" Mommy's nose, and Mommy of course has to say, "Honk!" whether or not it's Daddy or her that is praying! We all laugh in the middle of the prayer and then continue our conversation with God. Upon closing the prayer with an "amen" we find Nathan nodding his head in sync with the "amen"! We then lay him down his crib, cover him with his blanket, and surround him with his stuff animals. Sometimes (like tonight) he is still giggling at this point. We kiss him on the forehead and say "Goodnight, buddy! Love you!" This is one of my favorite parts because he has a big grin on his face and his little hand is waving to us all the way out the door. I also catch one more glimpse before we shut the door to see his little smiling eyes peering through the crib rails at us his hand still waving away. Then, he falls asleep within minutes. We know this because of his baby monitor!

This is such a sweet and cherished time for us. I know there is a day we will really miss these precious moments and we want to savor them. We always leave his room feeling so abundantly blessed. Children are the best.