Night Time Ninja

It's 1:43am. The house was dark, darker than normal.  It's been raining today, dark clouds and gloomy.  When the sun that was already masked by storm clouds went down for the night it was dark.  No light from the moon to guide you.

I was counting on that, the moon light.  I knew the house, I lived there before, but when it's the middle of the night and you are a little disoriented it's nice to have a ray of moonlight from the window to guide you. 

I had no such light.  I was on my own.  I rubbed my eyes, the way a sleepy toddler does with their hands in fists and opened them real wide to make sure my path was clear.  I stood in the doorway trying to get my barrings for two to three minutes at least. 

It was ok, I had time.  I didn't hear anything from him.  He was still asleep. 

My eyes had adjusted as much as they could, I wasn't going to be able to see any better.  I grabbed all the gear I needed.  My hands were full so I had to make sure again that the path was clear or they would all be up.  That won't be good for anyone. 

Hands and arms full, I start slowly across the hall.  It has been a while, but I know this hallway.  I know the sounds.  I know the sound it makes when someone is walking from one room to mine, and the sound it makes walking down the stairs. 

These cracks and squeaks in the floor are something I learned fast when we moved in.  I could tell if I was going to have a visitor to tell me "it's getting late, you need to get up," or if they went directly downstairs with no stop at my door, which meant I had more time to sleep.

Think Jennifer.  You know this. 

On my tip toes and with my breath held I started my way down the hallway. 

Step, step, pivot.  There's a squeak there.
I made it to the steps, halfway there.
Step, step, side step, SQUEAK.....Shit, I forgot that one.

I am silent.  Still.  Frozen.  The doors are closed, but that was loud.  Still no sound from the boy. 

I continue my journey to the boys room. 

I'm a foot from his door.  His squeaky, in desperate need of WD-40 door.  Exhale, finally. 

How am I going to open the door with my hands and arms full? 

The boy is still quiet.  I must not be as loud as I thought.  It must have taken me thirty minutes to get from one room to the other.  What time is it? When did I start this journey? I'm exhausted and I haven't even completed my task. 

Door open.  The boy is laid out on his stomach and made no move when I entered the room.  Exhale.  It's darker in this room than it is in the hallway.  There must be some light coming from the moon. 

It's Louis's night time feeding. 

He was asleep through the bottle, and the diaper change.  It wasn't until I laid him back down when he woke up and looked at me.

I can't imagine what I looked like after my journey. 
Out of breath
Disheveled
Hair a mess

That boy.  My eyes had adjusted and I could see his big eyes smiling back at me with a grin to match. 

Don't engage, don't engage.  I had to repeat quietly to myself.  It's so hard. 

I quietly backed out of his room and made my way back to my room.  I was greeted by Louis singing in the monitor that was sitting next to my bed.  He sang to me for the next 45 minutes. 

My journey was over.  It was 2am.  I did all of that in less than 20 minutes. 

Note to self: ask Lindsey the shortest she has ever done night time feeding.  I mean, that has to be some kind of record. 

Only 13 hours until Lindsey and Tab get back from the mountains. 

I make another mental note: Add to resume-Ninja.