Milo missed his morning nap because we were at the grocery store and when I tried to put him down for his afternoon nap, he cried off and on for two hours. He was so exhausted by the time he fell asleep, that he slept until 5 p.m. Sleeping until 5 pushed his bedtime back, which meant he was overtired and fussy and waking up every 45 minutes or so after I put him down. I fed him at 9 and, as he was drifting off to sleep, my dog started scratching himself (a very normal behavior for a dog, mind you). But he kept scratching. And scratching. And scratching. And goodgod does he need to scratch himself RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BABY's DOOR??? His scratching (and thus collar jingling) sent me into a tail spin.
David took the baby from me and soothed him to sleep. And then he found me crying in bed. I told him I hated my life.
(I don't really hate my life. But exhaustion and hormones and dogs with jingly collars can skew your perspective.)
And that was when my husband intervened in a big way.
Pop culture would have us believe that grand, romantic gestures include flowers and chocolates and diamonds. Grand gestures are public. And grand.
But I don't need flowers and chocolates and diamonds. Here is how I know my husband loves me:
He hugged me. And then he turned off the baby monitor. And he took his pillow off the bed. And he moved to the couch. And he told me to close the door , forget we had a baby, and go to sleep.
And he slept on the couch. My husband slept on the couch so he could hear the baby. And when the baby cried, David fed him. And I slept.
I slept. Uninterrupted. (Ok, minus a quick 2 a.m. feeding that I chose to do in order to sleep comfortably. If you're a breastfeeding mother, you understand.)
And this morning, when I woke up at 7 a.m., I felt like a different person. My brain felt different. The world seemed less blurry. I was even able to be kind to my dog.
And that, my friends, is the story of my husband, his love for me, and the night he made a grand, romantic gesture.
7 comments:
I got goose bumps friend. Praise the Lord for David!!! I'm SO glad you got that rest. You needed it! Hope it was followed by a fantastic day.
Oh, yay!!! This is how C. loved me through those first months of J's life (and sometimes still, when she's sick or I'm over-tired). I am so glad for David's concrete love for you and that you got a good block of sleep. So so so important. Love you, friend!
Thank your husband for me...
I love you all!
...even your dog(s).
oh, he's a keeper, for sure.
It's those big grand romantic gestures that make the day worthwhile. :o)
I'm glad that you were able to get refreshed and rejuvenated - sleep really does do wonders for our mental health.
Give David a big hug for us and have him give you a big one right back while you're at it.
It is amazing how the things we want/need in life change so drastically once kids come along. I am so happy that you got a wonderful night of sleep (Yeah for David). Today is a new day!
<3
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