Thursday, September 29, 2011

Also?

I don't think I followed up on my Monster post. It's worth mentioning that putting Edie to bed at 7:30 instead of 8pm is working very well. She's not waking up any earlier in the morning, so she clearly needed that extra sleep.

That said, can I just mention how tired I am of tucking my kid in? In the middle of the night I mean. I don't mind doing it at 7:30. But she's started asking for me at night. Typically around 11:30 or 12, frequently right as my head hits the pillow to fall asleep. And confession time: frequently I just go in there, silently pull the blankets (there are **5** of them - all NECESSARY) up to her chin and then climb back in bed. It only takes a minute or two, it's not hard and it shuts her up. Plus, it only happens about 40% of the time - the rest of the time she sleeps 11-12 hours straight through. But then lately, I've been getting resentful - I mean she's 2 for god's sake. Do I really need to still wake up with her at night and do what she says? Who's the boss here? So the other night I decided to assert my in-chargedness. Come hell or high water, I was NOT going in there to tuck her back in. I prepared for this by teaching Edie to tuck herself in and explaining that I wouldn't be seeing her until morning time.

DEBACLE.

Edie wasn't pleased with my disappearing act. And she let her displeasure known. Probably to everyone in the neighborhood. At one point I remember lying in bed with Edie's door closed, our door closed and earplugs in and still hearing my child shouting for my attention. After 40 straight minutes of Edie yelling my name over and over and over, she finally shifted gears and started saying something about how she couldn't lie down and missing her yellow blanket. It was now well after midnight. After rolling my eyes into the back of my head, I stomped into her room in the dark, stood in the doorway with my arms crossed and my maddest face on. And she positively burbled with giddiness! She was SO PUMPED that Mom was here to help. Cue steam coming out of my ears.

I tried standing a few feet away and coaching her how to tuck herself in but that was apparently unsatisfactory because when I walked out, she lost her shit all over again. And went for another 30 minutes or so? I don't even know what happened after that. I remember taking deep breaths in our bedroom. And chanting things like, "Go to sleep go to sleep go to sleep go to sleep" on my exhales. I remember that Jeff eventually got out of bed and worked in his office for a while. I think maybe I finally went in there and tucked her in, putting an abrupt end to the whole mess? I honestly don't remember for sure. Maybe I fell asleep before she did? Regardless, it was a bajillion times worse than just going in there for 2 minutes and pulling the blankets up to her chin before dropping off to sleep myself.

You guys! Why does a 2 year old beat me at everything?!

4 comments:

lindsey. said...

Did I ever tell you about the quote Greg read somewhere that said that if you had 2000 two year olds you could take over the world? Well, Greg called bullshit on that and said he only needed ten of them and that he would plan his assault at 7 p.m. when all the adults of the world are too tired to fight back. I love your two year old and I could totally picture you stomping in to her room. Sometimes I feel bad to laugh so much at these stories of yours (and don't think I can't relate and don't empathize on some level) but you're just so damn funny. It's your fault, really.

sandralbruton said...

whoa ho, I'm thinking 40% of the time is darn good. I'd pick those 2 min at 40% over 40 min. Good luck in the cabin this wk end...

Betsey said...

If it makes you feel any better, Emmi's back to being awake 1 - 4 hours nightly, and without fail she starts exactly 30 minutes after we've been asleep. We haven't had a full night of sleep in over two years. It's hell and our patience is beyond thin. It seemed to get worse once she was potty trained - in addition to her usual night wakings, now she wants to go potty all the damn time.

Erin said...

And here I thought sleep would return once we were through with night weaning! I can so see my kid doing this. She hasn't slept through the night ever, not even once, in almost six months.