Last Call

39 Weeks

"He hates going to bed. Just like his mommy."

"And he's a light sleeper, just like his daddy."

Good combo. For a politician. Or a security system. Sorry kid.

Ren likes the party to last all night. When he gets sleepy he does a sweet, cartoonish eye rub and reminds me of the E.H. Shepard sketches of Christopher Robin dragging Pooh at his heels. Then he uses his thumb to pull the side of his cheek towards his ear and he yells a kind of joyful nonsense. Sometimes his head and eyes roll a little bit. He grins. He likes to shake his little noggin back and forth, back and forth. Quickly and with intensity, especially when we first lay him on his back in the crib. We used to think he was trying to stay awake but it is becoming more clear that he is enjoying the sensation. Every so often he's like a body that needs the batteries taken out. He can't keep his eyes open but his limbs want to go, go, go—move, move, move. Sometimes he will be sound asleep and as soon as we turn our back to head out his bedroom door, we hear a goofy "goo". He's standing up. Mocking us. He giggles. When he finally goes down, it's sudden. Mid-baby-sentence. It's disconcerting and hilarious at the same time, like someone found the remote to turn him off.

Every night our son is the shameless, crazy, fun guy who they wake up to close the bar. And every morning he's bright eyed, smiling, and ready to face the day. I think he's made of energy drink... and whiskey.