The loud, screeching pitch automatically sends me shooting up in bed. Bright flashes from the window light up the entire room and the loud rumble of thunder vibrates the entire house. I look over at the digital clock on the nightstand. It's two thirty in the morning. This could only mean one thing.
Teddy. He absolutely despises thunderstorms. The poor guy can't fall asleep with all the racket going on outside. Christian and I barely get a full two hours of sleep a night when Mother Nature decides it's time to literally shake things up a bit.
I grab the corner of the comforter and go to get out of bed to tend to my eight months old little boy before he wakes up the rest of Seattle.
"Don't worry, baby. I'll go get him." Christian says thickly. His eyes are heavy with sleep and he slowly sits up and presses his lips to my forehead. "You need your sleep." He turns to get out of bed and goes through our bedroom door and into Teddy's.
I lay back down and listen to the rain pound against the glass windows. Teddy continues to scream and cry, but I'm so exhausted that I'm almost fully back asleep until I hear Teddy stop fussing altogether. Instead of a high pitched screaming, a soft murmuring comes from the baby monitor sitting on the nightstand next to our bed.
"What's wrong Teddy Bear?" I hear Christian whisper softly to his son. "It's just a little noise, buddy." There's a little bit of rustling as I hear Christian pick Teddy up from his crib.
"Shh, it's alright, Daddy's got you." I hear him coon through the monitor. I can practically see Christian holding our little son in his arms while bouncing slightly up and down. That's one of Christian's moves he uses when it comes to soothing Teddy, that and sitting in the rocking chair while gently bouncing Teddy on his knee.
Christian doesn't say anything for a while. All I hear coming from the monitor is Teddy's soft baby hiccups. He always does that after he's done crying. I think that he's finally calmed down for the night until a loud sonic boom comes roaring through the house. Teddy immediately starts screaming again and my chest constricts at my baby's fear.
"Hey, hey, hey now." I hear Christian say to Teddy. "It's okay, it's okay." Teddy doesn't listen this time and just continues to cry. "Do you want to go and lay in bed with mommy?" I hear Christian ask. Of course, Teddy is too young to understand the full question, but he does know the word "Mommy."
I'm about ready to get out of bed to go get him myself until the bedroom door opens and Christian walks in with a little Teddy clinging to his neck. He walks over to the bed and slides in next to me.
"Oh, my poor baby boy." I open up my arms and Christian passed his mini me into them. Teddy is still screaming into my neck and I start to rock him back and forth while softly rubbing his back. "Shh, Teddy, you're fine. Mama's here." His crying slows down and his little hands grab the hair at the back of my neck and don't let go.
"It's official," I hear Christian say behind me. "We've got a mama's boy on our hands." I laugh and turn my head back to look at him. His hair is all over the place, his tightly toned chest is bare, and an enormous grin spreads from one ear to the other. He's such a gorgeous man. I can feel Teddy lift his head and look back at his father. Out of the corner of my eye I see one of his little arms reach out as if to touch Christian.
"Oh, I don't know, Daddy." I say and turn around and hold Teddy out so he can wrap his chubby, little arms around Christian's neck. "I think Teddy Bear here loves his father very much." I smile as Christian pulls Teddy back so he can look at him. They're like two peas in a pod. Teddy clearly has Christian's dark copper hair, but has my blue eyes. He's become such a huge part of our lives that I can barely think of life without our little man of joy.
"Yeah, I guess we make a good pair, huh?" Christian say and hands his index finger to Teddy so he can grab it. He pulls his eyes away from his son and looks me in the eyes. "Thank you, Ana. I don't think I can say it enough."
I scoot up the bed and rest my head on Christian's shoulder. I look down at Teddy and see that he's looking back and forth between me and Christian. I reach down and fix his little cotton one-piece that his Aunt Mia just had to buy him. He smiles and even lets out a little bubbly laugh as I lightly tickle his tummy.
"He's so perfect." I whisper. I turn my head and plant a soft kiss on Christian's cheek. He quickly returns the affection and kisses me on my lips. He chuckles and glances back down at Teddy. Teddy is scrunching his lips together as if he's trying to make a kissing face. I can't help but laugh at the sight.
"I think somebody wants a kiss." Christian says and bends down to plant a kiss on Teddy's forehead. He then lifts Teddy up so his cheek is next to my face. "What about a kiss from mommy?" Teddy laughs and looks over at me as if he knows what's coming.
"Well of course I'll give you a kiss, baby boy." I plant my lips on his cheek and make an over exaggerated smacking sound and pull back. Teddy is all smiles. But, of course that doesn't last very long. His smiles soon turn into giant O-shaped yawns and his head starts to roll from side to side.
"Uh-oh," Christian says and slides Teddy back into the cradle of his arms. "It looks like somebody is ready for bed again."
"Well, it looks like the lightning and thunder has stopped. You think he'll sleep through the rain?" I ask as Christian and I stand up and walk down the hallway towards Teddy's room.
"I think he'll sleep like a baby." Christian whispers and nods to the sleeping little boy in his arms. We walk over to the crib and place Teddy down on the soft blankets. Christina bends down and kisses him on the cheek.
"Goodnight, Teddy Bear." He says.
I bend over the railing and also kiss one of his cheeks. "Night baby boy. Mommy and Daddy love you so much." I say and lean back.
Christian grabs my hand and we walk back into our room and slide into bed. I didn't know how tired I was until my head hits the pillow and Christian's arms wrap around my waist from behind.
"I love you so much, Ana." Christian murmurs into my ear.
I turn my body around and manage to keep my eyelids open so I'm able to look into his eyes.
"I love you, too, Christian." I seal my statement with a kiss on his lips. He returns the favor and tightens his arms around me. I lay my head on his chest and listen to the soft rain run down the glass and drift off into a soundless sleep while dreaming of my two beautiful men.