season of change

Something strange is going on at our house. Reese is shunning sleep. He took no nap at school yesterday. NO NAP at all.

Then last night, after his bath and bottle, he was still wide awake. Bright eyed, but not bushy tailed. He was clearly sleepy but having no part of Lofton putting him to bed.

I took him to the back, wrapped him in his blanket and rocked. And rocked. And rocked some more. For twenty minutes he stroked my face, played with my hair, and occasionally put his finger up my nose.

Exasperated I asked him, “What’s the deal, son?!?” He didn’t respond.

Just about the time I realized maybe I ought to have taken a bathroom break before settling in for a night of rocking, his eyes slowly closed. It was forty-five minutes AFTER his usual bedtime. Did I mention he had NO nap at all?

Around four this morning he cranked up AGAIN. Loud wailing was heard over the monitor. Lofton shuffled down the hall and patted, patted, patted for what seemed like eternity. Every time he stopped patting, Reese’s little turtle head popped up. Toothy smile beaming around his pacifier.

At 4:30 I thought to hell with it. I scooped him up, carried him to our room, and laid him in our bed. I literally pinned him {WWE style} to the mattress with my arm.

He never went back to sleep, and consequently neither did I.

As I was lying in bed, I was thinking, “Funny joke, God. I have been lamenting Reese growing older. My heart has been sick knowing that next week he will be a year old. I get the joke, now. You are reminding me what it’s like to have a newborn again. Ha, Ha Buddy. Joke’s on me. ”

{promised fall recipe, below}