I Hate the Late Night Cries, But I Love the Late Night Kisses …

I hate the late night cries, but I love the late night kisses …

It is well past mid-night and I wake up suddenly from my sleep.  I check my clock and realize that I have another couple of hours to rest, so I turn over and get ready to finish the dreams I’ve been enjoying.  Before going back to sleep, I turn the TV to the NBA channel because there is nothing else better than falling asleep to the day’s basketball headlines.  I find the channel and curl up under my pink blanket when I hear the handle of your door move followed by the slowly creaking that means that were woken up by your dreams too.

I hate the late night cries, but I love the late night kisses …

I hear whimpering coming from the hallway and the shuffling that comes from your 3 year old body sliding across the carpet, blankie dragging behind you.  The whimpering gets closer and closer and I am getting more and more afraid.  Not afraid that there is any danger lurking, but afraid of what I am going to get when you walk in the room.

I hate the late night cries, but I love the late night kisses …

You were the ‘difficult’ baby (and your sisters would say the difficult 3 year old).  You were the one we couldn’t get on a sleeping schedule, you were the one who couldn’t stay asleep, and you were the one with the strongest lungs!  When I hear your door knob start to turn and I hear you whimpering and shuffling down the hallway, I get afraid for which Zo-Bo we are going to get – at midnight.

I hate the late night cries, but I love the late night kisses …

Are we going to get the loud, crying Zo-Bo.  The Zo-Bo who refuses to cry her sleep asleep like her sisters.  The Zo-Bo who will only stop crying when Daddy rocks her over his right shoulder while sitting in that rocking chair that he still has in the corner of the room. The Zo-Bo who, despite having fallen asleep in that chair, knows instantly when we get up and starts crying again to protest any movement.

I hate the late night cries, but I love the late night kisses …

Or are we going to get the Zo-Bo who will walk to my side of the bed, reach her arms out as I get up and give you huggies and kissies before whispering in your ear, “Daddy loves you, now go back to sleep baby girl.”  That baby Zo-Bo gives a slight whimper back, accompanied with, “I love you too, Daddy,” as you walk back to your bed, tuck yourself in, and finish the night peacefully with no more interruptions.

I hate the late night cries, but I love the late night kisses …

On this night, you walk in, and you are still whimpering and not crying – a great sign!  Between whimpers, you let out a weak and barely audible, ‘I can’t sleep.’  I pick you up, kiss your forehead and your cheek, and I whisper in your ear, “Daddy loves you,’ as we quietly walk back to your room.  I tuck you in, kiss your forehead and rub your back a couple of more good times – just to seal the deal on getting you back to sleep – and I whisper in your year one more time so that you never forget, “Daddy loves you baby, Daddy loves you.”  (I always get one more in … you can never be too sure)

I hate the late night cries, but I love the late night kisses …

I’m sure that there will come a point in my life where I miss the nighttime, crybaby Zo-Bo, but now is not that time.  But I always love the nighttime baby Zo-Zo kisses.

Daddy loves you baby, Daddy loves you.