Sleep

Kids and sleep.  Ugh.  What a topic that can be discussed at length time and time again.  Co-sleeping, crying it out, blah blah blah.  I fell victim to buying that crazy "How to get your kid to sleep through the night" book and the "bedtime without tears" book.  They were both useless I think.  In my heart I am a big supporter of co-sleeping.  We did it for a while with both kids at different times, however, I cannot sleep well at all when I co-sleep.  It is awful.  I wonder if I would have ever gotten use to it, but I really don't think so, especially with my erratic work schedule.  Anyways for a long time now(9 months???) our children have gone to bed quite peacefully without a struggle almost every night.  The success of this has to do with a very strict bedtime routine.  It goes something like this.  Dinner.  Play for a few minutes.  Bath.  Dress.  Milk.  Teeth.  Bedtime stories.  2 stories only.  Every time.  Cover them with blankets.  Love you.  And you.  Lights out.   At one point a few months ago I was crawling into Abraham's crib and laying with him for an hour plus until he finally calmed down and drifted to sleep.  I'm not doing that anymore.  They mostly sleep through the night and have for a long time now.  Anyways I am totally babbling on.  

Well a couple months ago we moved Mimi to a big girl bed.  Abraham is still in the crib.  Well when we moved Mimi to her big girl bed, you wouldn't believe the "lectures" I got from the husband about how, no matter what, we can't let her in our bed if she tries to come in at night and sleep with us.  I heard it again.  And again.  He told me we must bring her back to her bed.  Every single time.  He use to watch too much of that damn super nanny.  Okay disclaimer.  This kind of makes my husband seem like an asshole.  He absolutely is not.  He loves and adores our children more than anything and our lives would be half as joyful if he wasn't around.  Okay on to the story.  I understood and agreed with the husbands plan(well really it was super nanny's plan-that's where we get all our parenting advice :) although I was quite offended with his lack of faith that I wouldn't bring her back to her own little bed.  He seriously mentioned it over and over and over again to me.  But whatever.  I have been know to sneak her in with me for a nap in our bed and co-sleep during vacations etc so maybe he had his reasons.   But I knew if I did slip and let Mimi in our bed, David would be right there to bring her back to bed and keep our routine.  After all he was strong.   And knew what he was doing.  Hmmmm.

On to Abraham.  That little stinker is part rooster.  Up before the sunrise.  Up way before the sunrise.  Like at 5-5:30 am.  Sometimes in the 4:45 time range.  Blah!  I actually have grown fond of this alone time with him when it is my turn to get up with him in the mornings.  Well after all the "lectures" about letting children into our bed, we caved.  No. WE didn't cave.  The husband caved.  Ha!  This is so hilarious to me.  I come home from work in the morning the other day and David tells me he brought Abraham to bed with him around 5 am and they both slept another couple hours.  That must be nice.  I've been getting up with him at 5 am, half asleep tripping over things left and right.  I actually really thought he was joking but nope, he did it again today.  What a sucker.  Or maybe he's smarter.  He certainly is getting more sleep than I am on the mornings it is my turn. 

So I'm off the next 9 nights and I assume there will be a 2 year old boy in my bed before sunrise tomorrow.  Hmmmm.... I think it's just about to get interesting.  I can see it now.  Big ole' family bed is in our future.  Mimi and Milo included.  

Oh by the way he also lets Mimi wake up far too early from her nap, come out to the living room half alseep, and curl up on the couch with him.  What a softy.

Hi Daddy!  I climbed out of my crib now and I'm ready to sleep with you tonight!

But really who can blame the husband with this adorable face