Sunday, May 24, 2009

Sleepy

The kids opted to sleep in their big kid beds again tonight. We read and nursed in the big bed, then moved them into the nursery, tucked them in and went downstairs. At this point they both ran weeping to the gate at the top of the stairs and screamed and wailed. I sighed, looked longingly at my birthday cake waiting for me, and went upstairs. I grabbed my book and a flashlight and went in and sat on the chair in the nursery, not talking to them but just being present while I read; they got it right away and were ok with this new set up. They wanted to get in bed together for a while, and that really helped them calm right down. After about 10 minutes, Monito was all but asleep and Pequita chose to move back into her own bed. I stayed for another 15 minutes while she did her deep breathing, sang quietly to herself and really respected the fact that I wasn't going to interact with her. Finally she dozed off.

Then I snuck downstairs and had a big piece of cake.

3 comments:

Grandma said...

Well done, Mommy! What a great way to give support, but still getting children to settle down and relax. If you had succumbed to laying down too, you would have fallen asleep and missed that birthday treat.

Thought of you all day. YOU are officially the next decade as of 10:00 last night. What a beautiful baby you were too. So strong and so healthy.

Had a nice visit with Mary M., our neighbor who just had her gall bladder out Friday. Son Mike is getting married this coming Friday in Portland, Oregon. When pain started she said to surgeon, I have to be on a plane next Wed. for my son's wedding. He was kind enough to make surgery the next day. The wonders of modern medicine!

MSL said...

How have things been after they fall asleep? Are they waking up in the middle of the night? If so, how is that going?

- Michele

Homestead Mom said...

MSL - once asleep, Monito still wakes up around 10 pm to nurse; he either stays on my lap after that or I put him back down in his crib/toddler bed. He wakes again in the wee hours and I bring him into bed with me.

Pequita sleeps through til 2-4am, then H-Mama brings her into bed with us. Either I'll train Monito out of his early waking, or I'll wait til he outgrows it, depending on my tolerance and other demands.