William's Lullaby

Hush Little William. Don't say a word.

Your mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird,

And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring,

And if that diamond ring turns to brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass,

And if that looking glass don't shine,
Mama's gonna buy your a porc-u-pine.

And if that porc-u-pine is mean,
Mama's gonna buy you some leafy greens,

And if those leafy greens aren't delicious,
Mama's gonna buy you something else nutritious,

And if that something else nutritious sounds yummy,
Your mama's gonna help you fill your tummy,

Hush Little William, our sweet, sweet boy,
We love you. You're our pride and joy.

Hush Little William. Don't say a word.

Your papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird,

And if that mockingbird don't sing,

Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring,

And if that diamond ring turns to brass,

Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass,

And if that looking glass don't shine,

Papa's gonna buy you a porc-u-pine.

And if that porc-u-pine is mean,

Papa's gonna buy you some leafy greens,

And if those leafy greens aren't delicious,

Papa's gonna buy you something else nutritious,

And if that something else nutritious sounds yummy,

Your papa's gonna help you fill your tummy,

Hush Little William, our sweet, sweet child,

We love you even though you're wild.

I love bedtime. Jason tries to get home every night for dinner, but no matter how busy he is at work, he always makes it home for bedtime.

We start with a bath, lotion, massage, and then, everyone's favorite part, jumping. (The kid has always loved to kick and jump, so we try to get in a few last jumps at the end of the day.) Then, while Jason is feeding Will his bottle, we say prayers and sing Will's lullaby. I came up with the last five verses over the first few weeks of Will's life when we were pretty much always trying to put him to sleep.

You too can come up with your own custom lullaby by following these steps:

1. Have a baby.  This might seem obvious, but I really think a newborn baby is the only way to ensure you are deprived of enough sleep to get those creative juices flowing in the most deliriously nonsensical ways.
2. Forget all or most of the words to a classic children's song.  I was born unable to remember words to any song correctly... if at all, but if you don't have this talent, being sleep deprived will also help you forget.  Also, forgetting will allow for easy substitution as you will have no other choice. 
3. Sing the song over and over and over again. This will not only allow you to try out different variations and rhymes but also help you remember the good ones you have already made up. You probably won't have a free hand to write down your lyrics for another few months, and by that time, they will be cemented in your brain from repetition.

That's it...

Also, that dark blob at the bottom of the second photo is Lola.  She makes it a priority to participate in bedtime every night too.