28 Days of Loving Lily: Day 16- How Much You Love Your Nighttime Routine

Here you are, all clean and ready to wind down.  Sometimes it takes you awhile because you are having such a great time...

Ever since you were a tiny baby we have had the exact same ritual for going to bed.  You eat your dinner, you take a bath, you get your jammies on, read some books and snuggle while you drink your milk and then we say our prayers, sing a song and put you down awake with your bunnies and turn on your rain.  Some things have been added as you have gotten older, for example now before your bath (which you love) you enjoy a good game of chase around the upstairs.  It is quite fun and we love the giggles and the quickness with which you bolt around up there as we try and catch you for bath time.  Another added element is brushing your teeth.  Most of the time you are pretty good about this, but often times you are determined to chew on your tooth brush rather than brush with it.  You love your My Little Pony training toothpaste too- and do not seem to mind when you get it everywhere on your hands and face.  You also like putting on your robe after your bath (more on that coming soon), and of course the nightly decision of which jammies to wear.

Your bedtime is typically between 6:45pm and 7pm and you love to snuggle in with your bunnies and blankie with two of your fingers in your mouth for extra soothing.  The funny thing that we learned (the hard way) a few times, is that if an element of your routine is skipped over or forgotten (either intentionally to save time or accidentally), you are very quick to inform whomever is in charge of putting you down that something has been missed.  Whether it is a bath, a particular lotion, your milk, one of your bunnies is missing or we forget to turn on your rain (soothing sounds cd), you let us know, so we can correct it and keep things rolling along as they should be.  

Experts always say that kids enjoy and thrive with structure and routine, and you are no exception my sweet girl!  It is great for us too because it ensures that everything gets done that needs to be done for you and it also allows Nana or Papa to step in if we are gone and things can be exactly the same for you even when we are not here to tuck you in ourselves.  You are a dear and the evening wind down is a busy time but also a sweet and favorite time of day for all of us!  You are our snuggle bunny!