Crib Housekeeping 101

Otter asked for water at bedtime, and I gave him a sippy in his crib. I then turned out the lights and told him I 'd be back to check on him.

From the kitchen as I was loading the dishwasher I hear a little voice over the monitor say:

"I need a coaster."*

Note: he doesn't know about coasters because I am, in general, a good housekeeper: I'm SO not (LAUNDRY PILES EVERYWHERE! Ack!), but G's grandfather built us a gorgeous coffee table and end tables and so we do try to have Otter and us use coasters in the living room. And Otter will sometimes ask for anything at bedtime that he thinks will result in parental presence.

No, I didn't bring him a coaster.

3 reasons I feel blessed

For Otter's bedtime, we have a routine, just as every parenting and sleep book known to mother recommends. Ours includes a "storytime", where G or I or both of us, in series or in parallel, reads Otter three stories (four if we do a bonus story when none of us is too tired). This is my favorite part of my day.

1. Reading with Otter is joyful and fun and exciting and relaxing, all at once. He asks questions, giggles, recites pieces of his favorite books, points out what he notices, speculates on things unspecified or unpictured. I read to him some nights (while G holds and snuggles the new baby) and get to have Otter all to myself.
   
2. Nights G reads with Otter, I get to curl up with the new baby (who is now 10 weeks old, roughly) on the "foosta" in the living room and listen to G and Otter do storytime over the monitor.
3. After storytime, Otter goes to sleep, and the whole house is peaceful.
4. And, a bonus, just as Otter sometimes gets a fourth bonus story: after that, I get to go to bed myself and sleep.