She is very particular about this whole going to bed routine . . . she gets tired around 8:00 and starts saying "hol me, hol me, snuggie, snuggie, wock-a-baby, wock-a-baby." This means that I must wrap the blanket around her exactly right, let her cradle her head on my left shoulder with her face pointed out, take her to Daddy to kiss goodnight, and then go directly to the rocking chair in her room. The last few nights she has also added "pat, pat" which means that I need to pat her on the back in precisely the rhythm that I did the night before. If it isn't right, or I stop too soon she grunts and wiggles until I get it right. I rock her until her breathing is heavy and she lets me stop patting . . . I then start the "dance" of transferring her to her bed. I lay her down and crouch right next to her and do the "pat pat" for a few more minutes just to make sure she is good and asleep and then tip-toe out, leaving the hall light on so that when she does wake up (which has been anywhere between 1 and 7 times so far) she can find her way to our bedroom door and and stand there and cry until we start the whole routine over again. It almost feels like we have a newborn in the house again.
She CRACKS ME UP.
A few nights she has also grabbed something on her way to her room and has fallen asleep with it . . .
a shoe . . . I PROMISE this shoe has never been worn out of the house and is completely clean
one of her favorite books . . .
She is talking like crazy these days and it is sometimes harder to understand her now because she is putting so many words together. Some of my favorites are:"no poops, no poops" . . . she says this each time she gets in the bath tub (we had a week where she pooped in the bath tub 4 times)
"wash-a-baby" . . . what she says when it gets time to wash her hair
"hold it, hold it" . . . she LOVES to look at babies and dolls in catalogs, and reaches for them and gets so frustrated that she can't hold them
"ABC, ABC, ABC" . . . what she knows of the ABC's so far
"2, 2, 2, 2" . . . she points and "counts" things but only says the number 2
While I've been awake so many hours during the night rocking my sweet girl, I've had lots of time to think. Lots of time to remind myself that in the midst of the daily mucky-muck, or when I find myself wishing for all the things that aren't quite right, like pants that fit or money to burn or houses that are clean . . . I'm reminded to surround myself with those I love, and hold them as close as I can for as long as I'm given.
While I've been awake so many hours during the night rocking my sweet girl, I've had lots of time to think. Lots of time to remind myself that in the midst of the daily mucky-muck, or when I find myself wishing for all the things that aren't quite right, like pants that fit or money to burn or houses that are clean . . . I'm reminded to surround myself with those I love, and hold them as close as I can for as long as I'm given.
3 comments:
We are oh so proud of the Gracester around here! We just had a "lesson" on how baby Grace sleeps in her bed, when her mommy says. Maybe it'll work around here! :-)
Oh the nightly routines! Abby's is a ridiculous smorgasbord of things that all must be done in EXACTLY the right order, every nap and every night. Trey is way easier, a little rocking and off to bed he goes. I love boys!
Love the pics of the variety of sleeping items Grace has taken off with her. The sleeping routines what battles they are. I remember each step with our kids and how my heart was always sad knowing that another step meant moving away from their baby stage. Also, knew that for the sanity of the house it needed to be done! Jaycee does quite well now, but definitely has her ways of how she wants to be put down. Jackson not so much, but hates to be left alone to fall asleep. Most nights we can view him sleeping in his floor in the doorway so he can see us in the living room!
What great gifts we have been given in our precious babies!!!
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