Bedtime

My favorite time of day is from about 7:30 to 8:30 pm. That's Cate's bedtime. It's when she and I say goodnight to Daddy and go upstairs. We sit in the glider, have one last bottle, and rock. Sometimes I read her a story. Sometimes I sing to her. Sometimes she goes straight to bed. But I love that time. I love holding her when there are no distractions. No phone, no dogs, no TV. Just us.

When she dozes off, I like to sit and imagine what her room will look like in 5, 10, and 15 years. Right now, it feels like it's just as much my room as hers. I put everything away, she's hardly in there without me (when she's awake). Right now, it's our room. But I like to think about what it will be like as she takes over. I like to think about toys on the floor, books on the shelf, posters on the wall. It makes me smile.