just stay in bed

Ever since Britton moved into a bed, her beautiful, enviable, consistent sleeping has gone out the window.  At first it was just a couple nights, here and there, where she'd get up and be put back to bed once for the night.  Then we moved into the hotel here, and it was all shot to shoot.  Some nights she screamed, running out of her room and refusing to even consider going to bed.  Other nights it would take ten tries to get her to stay in bed, each try including more outlandish behavior on our parts than the try before.  We went to such extremes - making Sadie sleep with her, rubbing Britton's back for twenty minutes, letting her take some books and a flashlight to bed - that we became downright superstitious.

We knew that with the hotel being a temporary situation, we couldn't really institute major changes.  We kept her routine the same - bath, books, bed - but other than that we just made it through.  There were nights Britton got up at 2:00 a.m., wide awake and wanting to play, and nothing could get her back to sleep. 

We figured that once we got into the house, everything would settle down.  And for the most part, it has.  But like any smart child, Britton has learned to push the boundaries and test us just often enough to keep us on our toes, but not so often that we're strapping her into her bed.  And don't think that idea hasn't hit me at 2:00 a.m.

Most nights the hubs gives Britton her bath, I read her stories, then she brushes her teeth and goes potty.  She tells the hubs goodnight and gives him kisses and hugs, then I put her down to bed.  It has now progressed into me rubbing her back while singing horribly off-key and downright made-up lullabies.  After about five minutes, I tell her good night and leave.  Then I stand outside her room because within a minute she's back up.  Usually it's with the excuse of wanting a book or a stuffed animal, but it's at that point that I turn from "patient loving mom" into "curt no-crap mom."  There are no sweet whispers of having good dreams; she is made to get into bed on her own and go to sleep.  Threats of taking away her Cinderella doll or putting a baby gate in her doorway have worked so far.  Most nights, that's where it ends and I'll take it because it's not all that bad.  

But last night, oh boy.  Britton was up from midnight until 5:45 am, wanting only the hubs.  He reported later to me that all she wanted to do was talk, and that she was so sweet about it he let her.  Turns out, she spewed a stream of consciousness story to him about her school and friends and anything and everything in her life until he drifted off on the couch.  This is how I found them this morning...

And I hope I'll look back at this picture and remember it sweetly, as my little girl and her daddy fast asleep on the couch, and not my little demon child who needs to learn to JUST STAY IN BED.