Just Go to Sleep!

I knew I was in trouble tonight when I scooped E up off the floor, asked "ready for bed?" and she replied, "no, no, no." Not only was it her first time to use the word "no", she meant it.

If you know me well in real life, not just through social spaces, you know that bedtime has been a struggle, but one that we have been victorious at over the past couple months. I rocked Ellie to sleep for too long, but who can blame me? A sweet sleepy baby with chubby whubby kissable cheeks is too hard to resist rocking 'til she's dead asleep, dreaming of finally being able to talk and telling me to stop chanting "Eat 'em up, eat 'em up, chomp, chomp" while she's trying to eat. Anyway, after really only two nights of letting her cry it out a couple months ago, she's able to go to sleep on her own most nights.

But this isn't most nights. She's past the point of no return as I like to call it. She's so tired that she has had her second, third and fourth wind. Besides the extra peace of mind and security, this is another reason why a video monitor comes in handy: sheer entertainment! No matter how frustrating it is that she's not going to sleep, this kid is one funny girl! Here's her "I don't wanna go to sleep MO":

• Stand up, look at the door and babble cute little baby words. I'm sure she's thinking, "They tell me all the time how cute I am. This will get them to come in and check on me for sure!"

• Run her binkie across the slats in her crib like running a cup across medal bars in the clink. No lie!

• Stand up, look at the owls above her bed and say "hoot, hoot, hoot." Side note: I was so proud that she knows what an owl says, but now it's her reply for every animal sound. We have some work to do there.

• Pull the binkie out of her mouth, dramatically hang it over the side of the crib, let go and say "Uh-oh!"

• Stare at the binkie on the floor as if to say, "That was a bad idea!"

• Start the "flop like a fish" routine, where she lays down and constantly tosses herself all over the mattress trying to find a comfortable spot.

• Lay still for three minutes so mama thinks she's asleep and then let out a random scream.

• Sit up and start clapping.

• Stand up and walk around the perimeter of the crib.

• Flop back down, bury face in sheet and raise butt straight in the air.

• Roll over, bring feet up to hands and proceed to pull off socks. Shake them in the air while repeating cute baby babble chant.

• Stand up, look at the door and yell mama and dada. Sit down and whine and whine and whine.

Needless to say, she won and momma went in to rock her again. But of course, I won too. I got to hold my little chubby whubby cheeked princess who'll soon be big enough to push me away. Sigh.