Sleep

We have had an interesting relationship with sleep. It is a love-hate relationship. She plays hard to get, her nature being highly elusive. She is bittersweet.

That being said, Pete slept from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. last night. He squeaked once. I don't know the exact time. Two nights ago I unplugged the clock radio in the middle of the night because the alarm buzzer went off twice. Someone...uhhem!...(Sam)....somehow set it to go off at o'dark-thirty while fiddling with the tuner in search of Lady Gaga. I have yet to plug it back in.

Elise tells me Pete woke around oneish. He cooed and squeaked for a few minutes, then the air conditioner kicked on. I had every intent of getting up, but never did. Not that I needed to. Pete, unswaddled and without pacey, put himself back to sleep.

An hour or so later, Sam, who has been sharing a room with Elise and I while Pete learns the finer points of sleeping through the night, padded across the carpet in his footed pajamas and stood at the edge of our bed, his steady, bleary-eyed stare requesting entry. He was gently redirected back to his own bed. Elise laid with him for a moment. I don't know how much time passed before he was back again, his second attempt at positioning himself between Elise and I more successful than the first.

We had--what I hope Elise believes was--a delightful birthday weekend. Friday night was sushi sozinhos (without kids) and the driest chocolate cake in Arlington. Not that we doth protesteth, but the bartender assured us it was homemade by his Kazakh grandmother...I'm sure it was. Elise enjoyed the best massage of her life at the Ritz in Georgetown while Sam, Pete and I rode the Metro to the Apple store in search of a gift. We emerged (literally) in the center of a professional cycling criterion just in time to be present when the lead female sprinter ate pavement at 39 mph. Fortunately, Sam was spared the sight. In the afternoon, we packed and double-packed supplies to go to the waterpark. It cost $24 and we only stayed an hour, but it was an absolute blast. Sam stood in the two feet end threatening to actually swim, while Pete played in the kiddie pool for the first time, grinning from ear to ear. For those that know Pete, they can appreciate what a sight this must have been, as his entire face grows to accommodate the size of his smile.

Yesterday, we journeyed to Elise's favorite breakfast place, Le Pain Quotidian. is it coincidence that this is the breakfast place where Elise and I ate in New York City right before I asked her to marry me? Probably :) At any rate, they have the best coffee in the world bar none. We yogurted at Red Mango for dessert (because is it really a birthday if you don't have dessert after breakfast, too?), then after naps, Sam and I made Elise a cake.

Sam ate half the sprinkles before they made it to the top of the cake and tried putting the candles into the cake before it had actually been baked and was just a puddle of batter in the bottom of the cake pan, but the venture proved highly successful. It was the best cake I've ever made. The exclamation point on the weekend was PF Changs take-out. Nothing special in-and-of-itself, but when enjoyed after both boys are in bed and we are able to talk--if in hushed tones--over a glass of wine and bottle of beer, makes all the difference in the world.