Waiting for Bedtime

It is no secret that good night time sleep and obtaining it boarders on being an obsession around here ;) I have always had to have a good night's sleep and that was the hardest thing for me to adjust to when I had my first baby (and still is for that matter ;). I remember when Nature Girl was still an infant, I asked a friend of mine if I was a bad parent for waiting and wishing for bedtime? There was a brand new mom that I used to go to softball games with (our husbands played on the same team) and she would tell me that she would keep her baby up way too late at night because she wanted to spend time with him (she worked during the day.) My gut ached. Some days I couldn't wait for 8:30PM so I could put Nature Girl to bed and just have some alone time. Having little ones in the house is physically, emotionally and mentally draining ;) I justified my feelings because I was home all day with my baby and got to spend a ton of quality with her. As the years have gone on, I have run into moms that have felt the same way I do. Counting down the hours to bedtime. It doesn't happen every day and I am equally excited to see them first thing in the AM (at least if it is after 6:30 :). Also, as I now realize how fast they grow, I am trying to REALLY appreciate the time we have together! And as they get older it is kind of fun to sit up a little later and read or watch a TV show, movie or sporting event. I have long since left the guilt behind. I am the best mom I can be 15 hours a day, seven days a week. My children, all day, everyday have my attention. It is OK to be guilt free when bedtime rolls around . . .