To sleep or not to sleep............

Dear Rohan,

I have decided to start my blogging journal to you on this of cold and stormy days. I have just put you down for a nap after spending 2 hours debating the necessity of sleep with you. You firmly believed that now is the perfect time to play and talk and read unlimited amounts of stories. I however, as mama's often do, disagreed. I believed now was the perfect time for you to nap! Although it was a tight argument, mama won you over, again, about nap time.

This brings me to our frowned upon method of getting you down to sleep, may it be nap time or night time. The beginning process is a common one practiced by many families in the western world, dinner (lunch), bath (or not), stories..............and this is where it gets tricky. I have started making the habit of discussing our adventures and accomplishments of the day. I think that you actually really enjoy this, and I do as well. You then say your good nights to daddy (at night), he leaves, good night to mama and I stay. It has come to the point where you refuse to go to sleep with out mama's shadow on your wall.

Initially I felt a bit resentful that I had to spend so much time laying around in your bed waiting for you to fall asleep. It could, at times, take over an hour (or on this fateful day, two). That is a lot of time. But now that I have come to master the art of laying with you until you fall asleep, I have also come to cherish this time we have together. I love reading stories with you may it be night time or day time. It is amazing to watch your comprehension of the stories become more and more clear. It has also become a pleasure to run through our day together, even if it is a day you spent with your daddy and I had to make up what you did!

My favourite, which is pretty unconventional as far as appreciation goes, is the laying with you until you fall asleep, though I appreciate it more at night than in the day time. This time is spent laying side by side, you with your hands lovingly wedged into my ever expanding mane, and me watching as your eyes get heavier and heavier with the weight of sleepiness. There is something magical about watching as your child drifts off to dreamland. This also gives me time to relax and wind down at the end of the day, to review and contemplate what needs to be reviewed and contemplated, or not. A time to just lay there and be in the moment.

So no matter how many occasions this sleep thing becomes a battle, I will always hold this time we share close to my heart, and drifting through my dreams.

Sweet dreams beautiful boy, Mama loves you, I will see you when you wake up from your nap!

Love Mama