Early and late

Angus in the morning

At 4:30 a.m. I need to get up, just for a minute, and I tiptoe across the bedroom but the floor squeaks a little and soon the puppy is squeaking too.

I climb back into bed. I whisper, "It's OK, Angus, go back to sleep," but it doesn't work. Sometimes it works, but not this time. He squeaks again, and then he chirps. "Shhh," I say. He chirps again, and when I don't respond he kicks it up a notch to a whine.

For the next half hour we engage in a standoff. He chirps and squeals, and I hiss, "NO. Go back to sleep!" in a fierce whisper.

Chirp

Noooo

Squeak

Shhhhhh!

Whine!

For half an hour we have this conversation in the dark.

I do not want to wake Doug, but I am delusional if I think he can't hear this. He is playing possum, though, and who can blame him? It's my turn. He's late duty, and I am early duty, and when it becomes clear that Angus is not going to go back to sleep but, instead, is going to escalate his protests, I throw back the covers, and I get up.

I glare at Angus but he does not melt under my fierce gaze, does not even cower. Instead, he sits up and wags his tail.

The way we get Angus to sleep through the night is this: Doug stays up. I conk out about 9 or 9:30, but Doug powers through. He plays with the dogs, he takes them out for a final pee around 10:15, he puts Angus into his crate, all while I am blissfully sleeping.

In the morning, it is my turn. Doug sleeps in and I get up at 5 and let the dogs out. (Or 4:30.)

This way Angus sleeps straight through for six or seven hours. (Not eight. Never eight.)

So this morning I go out with them into the back yard, the air not as cold as it has been, the stars hazier, and watch the dogs do their business and wonder if I can get back to sleep or if this is it, I'm up for the day.

Back to sleep.

 The dogs race back into the house. It is so early Rosie does not even bark; I think she is half asleep. I turn on the coffee maker, collect the newspapers, look around for the dogs, and there they are, cuddled together in the bed by the radiator.

It is 5:15 a.m.  I am wide awake. The dogs go back to sleep, but for me, this is it; I am up for the day.