Books, Bed, and Daddy

Just a few short weeks ago, the scene above wasn't something Judd and I thought would happen easily. Charlotte was going through a phase and she only wanted me. It broke Judd's heart. He tried so hard to interact with her. We decided that he had to play a major part in the routine in the evenings.

Not that he hadn't been a part of the routine prior to this. Whenever he came home from work, he would sit by the bathtub during her bath, or play with her outside, or play with her before bed. But, he didn't really ever put her to bed. We thought that this would be a good thing for him to begin to do.

Our nighttime routine begins with a bath around 6:30 or 7:00. Then we "brush" Charlotte's teeth. (more like having toothpaste for dessert) Then chase her around the upstairs trying to diaper her, praying she doesn't pee before we wrestle it on. After we catch our breath, we put her pajamas on. Then we go get her cup of milk, read books in the rocker, and then time for bed.

The first few nights of the new plan were tough. After bath, he would take her up to her room to read. She would cry through the first few pages of the first book, but then settle down. After the 3rd night, she went up with him without a single tear. Then, this past Wednesday, Judd wasn't feeling good, so I said I'd put Charlotte to bed. He was laying on the couch and I asked Charlotte if she was ready to go up to bed. She stood up, walked over to Judd, grabbed his hand, turned to me and said "Byyyeee - Byyyeee". I told him that it looked like he was the chosen one.

He was beaming. He forgot about all about his headache. He took her little hand, scooped her up into his arms, and took her up to bed. I listened over the monitor as I made dinner. He reads the books to her in only the voices he can do. I couldn't stop smiling. I fall in love with him over and over again each day as I watch him fall more and more in love with our daughter.