The Heavyweight Title

last night i asked aaron to tell me a story. (i usually do this when i need a distraction from whatever worry is running circles in my head, keeping me from sleep.) this is how the conversation progressed:

aaron: want me to tell you a story about how pretty you are?
kelley: ok.
aaron: this one time, i looked at you and you were sooooo pretty.
kelley: *giggling*
aaron: and i never had to look at you again to know it was true.

this was a much better conversation than the one we had earlier in the day.

aaron: what's your freakin' problem?
kelley: i'm exhausted because i got up with panzer 4 times last night.
aaron: no, i got up with panzer 4 times last night.
kelley: well, 2 of the times i got up with him, you were still awake so there was no need for me to even get out of bed.
aaron: no i wasn't.
kelley: yes, you were.
aaron: no i wasn't.
kelley: you're right, it's a contest, you got up more times with panzer, he weighs more when you're holding him, you change more poopy diapers and you've soaked more spit up into your t-shirt! they're all contests and you win them all! side note: all lies, i am the mommy, and i have endured more of everything, and to prove it, here is a small sampling of my collection of world championship mommy belts:

later that night, i realized it was a contest. i've been ooey-gooey with P since he popped out his first 2 teeth last weekend, ending his 2-week streak of finally sleeping through the night. my wisdom teeth are still working their way in, and i know first-hand that teething sucks, so i have given P the benefit of the doubt that he is probably miserable and needs me. plus, he has recently become proficient at rolling over and i'm paranoid about him having his face smashed into the mattress until he figures things out a little better. plus, who wouldn't want to spend a few minutes, even in the middle of the night, with this face?

that was, until last night when i got up with him at 1AM and rocked him to sleep and set him down in countless cycles for an hour. OK, mommy's a sucker, but she's not stupid. panzer goes down crying at 2:04 AM. aaron asks if i want him to take a turn and i say no, let's give him an hour. we briefly discuss the difference between the cry of distress from what we were hearing -- whining. and settle down to wait.

at 2:24 AM, there is silence. i grab aaron's arm. did we just win?

well, the answer was not for another 22 minutes, but at that moment it became very clear to me that it is not me versus aaron, but us versus him. and we had better win even if it means sharing a few of my awesome gold belts.