Notable Moments

Elaina...

Victor has been gone a couple nights this week working on painting the kids bedrooms in the new house.  The first night he was gone Lainey was up from 11pm - 2:30 am.  She had a bad cold/cough and upon examining her ear I discovered she also had an ear infection.

Her room in our current house had been repainted the day before and it seemed like the lingering paint fumes were making her cough worse.  At first I tried rocking her back to sleep.  This failed.  I then put her in the pack n' play (set up in our room due to the recent painting).  She screamed like she was being tortured. 

I brought her downstairs then to check her temperature, give her some Ibuprofen, listen to her lungs.  She seemed okay, other than the red ear. 

Since I knew she wasn't feeling well I didn't want to force her to cry too long so I tried laying down with her.  She climbed all over me.  If I tried to put covers on she yanked them off. 

So, being a super smart mom and all, I decided I would just lay down and fake sleeping and just let her fall asleep on her own.  (It was about one in the morning by now).  I laid down on my stomach and Lainey immediately started rubbing my back and leaning in and giving me hugs and kisses.  Sweet baby.  About 5 minutes later she leaned in really close and then shouted -- " BOO!"  I still played dead. 

She did not give up -- peek-a-boo and back rubs continued.  So after I realized she wasn't going to fall asleep on her own I told her to lay down and started to rub her back and sing her songs.  As soon as I started signing her lifted up her head, pointed her finger at me  and said, "STOP!" 

No more singing.   

Just back rubbing.

She thought this was fun and popped her head up every 30 seconds and smiled at me.

1:30 am.  Finally I figured I would just surround her with pillows and leave the room and see if she would go to sleep on her own.

Erik is no longer wearing pull-ups at night.  He has only been wet once since he stopped wearing them at night.  Guess what night that was?  Yep. After I left Lainey alone in our bed I went to check on Erik and take him to the bathroom.  He was wet so instead I changed his clothes and sheets and tucked him back in bed.  (He had been with the sitter that night who must not have restricted his drinks.) 

After changing Erik's sheets I went to check on Lainey who by then had crawled out of bed and was hanging over the foot rail.  (She can get off the bed but must have been confused by the pile of pillows surrounding her). 

Finally, I decided the baby was going to have to cry. 

I tucked a ticked off baby girl into the pack and play.  45 minutes later (2:30 am) she finally gave up and went to sleep.  Poor girl.

Erik was up for the day by 6:30 am.  Good thing I am out of the first trimester and both kids usually sleep really well -- plus Victor is usually home and very helpful. 

It was a long night but she was so sweet and funny in the midst of it that I thought it was noteworthy.