KatieLou
01-18-2009, 07:46 PM
So basically, with DD, I have been very blessed by her sleeping habits. We have never had any major issues out of her. When we out her in a big girl bed at 17 months, she happily rolled over and went right to sleep. She has never even tried to get out of her bed. Honestly, she would happily stay in the bed untill DH or I went and got her up.
Now the fun begins. She is 3 1/2 (sob) so I know a lot of this is very normal for her age, but drving DH and I bonkers, none the less.
She has always been picky about her bedtime routine, or all routines for that matter. It must be done the same every night, and if not, watch out. But we are very used to that.
Now she is using every trick in the book. Bedtime the past few weeks has gone something like this.
*teeth brushed
* puppy and blankie in place
*a bedtime story
* bedtime prayer
* hugs and kisses
*CD(the same one) on and nightlight in place
*door shut (she always wants it shut)
The above is our normal bedtime routine and has been since she made the trasition from crib to big girl bed.
Then....
*"MOMMY... I need a drink of water"
If we tell her no and to lie down she pitches a fit, which wakes up DS, so a lot of the time we just get her a drink, and have been trying to give her one before bed, but she usally asks agian anyway.
*As the door shuts "I need to tell you a secret"
We either reply with a "no secrets at bedtime" or ask her if she has anything to tell us before we shut the door.
* "There are shadows, I am 'fraid of the shadows, they scare me to def!" We explain that shadows can not hurt you, and are just made by the light, and we have showed her how much fun shadow puppets can be.
* I gotta POOP!" ok so what do you do? we get her up, and yes she goes, and yes she has used the potty right before bedtime. Not much can be done here!
Many times we will get the door shut and get down to relax and she will scream out with some oddball request.
My fav part:rolleyes: She has begun to get out of the bed, sometimg she would have NEVER done even 2 months ago. DH and I will be sitting on the couch and she will sneak out of her room, and you will see her little head pop around the corner. We take her right back to bed, and she tries to pull all the tricks out agian!
Last night, she had been in the bed for 1 hour, and we thought she was long asleep. DH was in the bathroom and I was downstairs. He hollers down to me "Is Lilly with you" in a vocie that I could tell he was freakin' a bit. "She is not in her room!"
I call up to him that no she is not with me. When I hear a giggle. she snuck (I am telling you this kid can sneak like no other) down the stairs and was sitting directly behind my chair, and I had no clue she was there!!
DH explained to her that she scared him by doing that, that he did not know where she was. We took her back to bed, and told her NOT to get up.
UGH! I know, most of you have been through this, but this is the fist time I have ever had a 3 year old;) and it is such a battle! Bedtime seems to last forever anymore! I find myself getting so frustrated with her, and I hate that. :(
Not to mention that bright and early she is up and standing by my bed waking both me and DS up when she, in the past, would have stayed in bed happily looking at a book or talking to her puppy.
I know, I know, she is just getting older and becoming independent and such.
Now because I feel bad for talking about her I must add something she did tonight that warmed my heart. I let her stay up a tad late (hopping it would make bedtime quicker) and she was snuggled on the couch with me watching a kiddie tape. She looked up at me and said "Mommy, I love you. You will have another baby in your belly one day." and gave me a huge bear hug.
She knew nothing of my pregnacy, or of the m/c. It really kind of comforted me too.
Now the fun begins. She is 3 1/2 (sob) so I know a lot of this is very normal for her age, but drving DH and I bonkers, none the less.
She has always been picky about her bedtime routine, or all routines for that matter. It must be done the same every night, and if not, watch out. But we are very used to that.
Now she is using every trick in the book. Bedtime the past few weeks has gone something like this.
*teeth brushed
* puppy and blankie in place
*a bedtime story
* bedtime prayer
* hugs and kisses
*CD(the same one) on and nightlight in place
*door shut (she always wants it shut)
The above is our normal bedtime routine and has been since she made the trasition from crib to big girl bed.
Then....
*"MOMMY... I need a drink of water"
If we tell her no and to lie down she pitches a fit, which wakes up DS, so a lot of the time we just get her a drink, and have been trying to give her one before bed, but she usally asks agian anyway.
*As the door shuts "I need to tell you a secret"
We either reply with a "no secrets at bedtime" or ask her if she has anything to tell us before we shut the door.
* "There are shadows, I am 'fraid of the shadows, they scare me to def!" We explain that shadows can not hurt you, and are just made by the light, and we have showed her how much fun shadow puppets can be.
* I gotta POOP!" ok so what do you do? we get her up, and yes she goes, and yes she has used the potty right before bedtime. Not much can be done here!
Many times we will get the door shut and get down to relax and she will scream out with some oddball request.
My fav part:rolleyes: She has begun to get out of the bed, sometimg she would have NEVER done even 2 months ago. DH and I will be sitting on the couch and she will sneak out of her room, and you will see her little head pop around the corner. We take her right back to bed, and she tries to pull all the tricks out agian!
Last night, she had been in the bed for 1 hour, and we thought she was long asleep. DH was in the bathroom and I was downstairs. He hollers down to me "Is Lilly with you" in a vocie that I could tell he was freakin' a bit. "She is not in her room!"
I call up to him that no she is not with me. When I hear a giggle. she snuck (I am telling you this kid can sneak like no other) down the stairs and was sitting directly behind my chair, and I had no clue she was there!!
DH explained to her that she scared him by doing that, that he did not know where she was. We took her back to bed, and told her NOT to get up.
UGH! I know, most of you have been through this, but this is the fist time I have ever had a 3 year old;) and it is such a battle! Bedtime seems to last forever anymore! I find myself getting so frustrated with her, and I hate that. :(
Not to mention that bright and early she is up and standing by my bed waking both me and DS up when she, in the past, would have stayed in bed happily looking at a book or talking to her puppy.
I know, I know, she is just getting older and becoming independent and such.
Now because I feel bad for talking about her I must add something she did tonight that warmed my heart. I let her stay up a tad late (hopping it would make bedtime quicker) and she was snuggled on the couch with me watching a kiddie tape. She looked up at me and said "Mommy, I love you. You will have another baby in your belly one day." and gave me a huge bear hug.
She knew nothing of my pregnacy, or of the m/c. It really kind of comforted me too.