My late night ritual

I'm not going to lie. There are days when I'm so stressed out from being a mom all day, that I can't wait for my kids to go to bed.

I enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet, and some true "alone" time after Grant goes to bed.

Then I start missing them.

So I quietly tiptoe into their rooms, and take a quick peek at them sleeping. I repeat this...oh...about a dozen times. Every time I get up to do something, I detour to their rooms. This sounds a bit much, but Dylan and Lexie are wonderful sleepers, and I can't help but look at their angelic faces and feel a surge of love for them.

Sometimes they look so darn cute, that I just have to snap a few pics of them. I know, I know, crazy...just call me stalker mom.

Right before I head to bed, I check on them one last time. I lean over and give Dylan a smooch on the forehead, and tell him that mommy loves him so much, and will love him forever. I ruffle his hair before I head out, hoping that he can sense how much I love him. Every so often he will sigh, smile, and roll over. I repeat the routine with Lexie, but it requires some work, considering she's in her crib. Most of the time, she has her head pressed against the crib slats, so I can bend down and smooch the top of her head, feeling her baby soft hair against my lips. I breathe in her freshly bathed smell and commit it to memory, for I know how fast their young lives fly by.

I can then go to bed feeling happy, loved, and truly blessed.