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.
