The Best Gift

Today, I celebrated my 29th birthday! I was prepared to mourn the end of my twenties today, but instead I had the most enjoyable and relaxing birthday imaginable. My mom brought me lunch from one of my favorite restaurants and watched Charlie so that I could get a massage. Nick came home early, and we enjoyed a nice family dinner. This past weekend, I spent time with two of my best friends, Stefani and Nicole, and Nick and I had a much needed date night. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better celebration. But, the best gift of all came about thirty minutes ago when Charlie woke up after being put to sleep for the night.

Normally, I try to get as much as I can accomplished after the little guy goes to sleep. Tonight, I was attempting to do laundry, straighten up around the house, pay some bills, and answer some e-mails. Upon hearing him cry, my heart sank a bit because it meant that I wouldn't get as much done as I had planned. As I went in to comfort him, I remembered a post that one of my friends wrote on her blog. She reflected on the idea that no matter how much we try, we are never truly "finished" with all the work that we have. The "To Do" lists that we write will never really be done, and we will continue to add to them. She wrote about this in relation to her family and how we prioritize as parents. Thank you Elizabeth for your thoughts, because tonight I too realized that I want my child to know that he comes first. The laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and bills will always be there, but Charlie will grow before I know it. He will not always need me to rock him back to sleep the way he did tonight. So, I sat in the dark tonight and held my son, rocked him gently, kissed his head, watched him dream, held his tiny hand, and was thankful for the best birthday gift ever!