Reading

I love to read. It is perhaps one of my favorite pastimes, and I have a bad habit of reading the same books over and over again rather than starting new ones. I want Lorelei to love reading too, and her nursery already has a beautiful bookshelf in it. When she was inside me, I loved pulling out my old childrens' books and placing them amongst the new ones she received as gifts. Eloise, Rosamund, Treasures of the Kingdom and a 150ish year old copy of Alice in Wonderland. However, once she was born things got so crazy with the nursing that we did little but sit on the couch and watch t.v./go on the computer. I barely got to read at all, much less read to her.
When we started having more of a "schedule," no matter how rigid, I decided Lorelei needed some sort of bedtime routine, even if I knew she had to wake up three more times to eat. She is most fussy in the evenings and we wanted to use this to calm her down. So now, I pick a feeding (normally between 9 and 10,) feed her, swaddle her, rock her and I read to hear two stories and then sing some songs and say prayers before I place her in the co-sleeper. Since she was pretty much attached to me for several weeks, I had been going through this little ritual. However since now she is feeding more on demand, I passed her to Allen at bedtime so he could enjoy this time with her. I probably should have taken some "me time" or gone to bed early, but instead I started watching them and taking pictures. Watching my husband love our little girl so well and watching her stare at him, wide awake and captivated. He read to her so sweetly, rocked her when she fussed and sang to her when she cried. It made me fall in love with him even more, like I did the first night I saw him with her in the hospital. I am so blessed by the little family I have!