Brody and I had a battle of wills last night and I won! Or at least I think I won? He woke up at 12:30 a.m. He hasn't gotten up in the middle of the night in ages. I think to myself that I will just let him sleep with me...I love to snuggle with him in our big bed. I go in to his room to check on him and he immediately pops up, grabs his Brown Bear books (yes, bookS--because who only sleeps with one book), and his blanket. I asked him if he wanted to sleep with momma to which he responded "yes." So off we go to our room.
I put him down on the bed and ask him to scootch over. He does so and says to me "want apple juice." I tell him no, it is night night time. He begins to cry, tells me it's not night night time and again request apple juice. No, No, and No again...could BE any clearer (read this with Chandler Bing emphasis). He continues with the whining/crying and in between sobs asks for apple juice. I continue to tell him no. He is hysterical at some points, but I hold my ground. I don't want to create a habit of him getting juice in the middle of the night (I know, I know...putting him in the bed with me is probably just as bad)...but I wanted to snuggle..so there.
Every time I would think he was almost down for the count, he would say it again..."mo apple juice"....I tried to sing to him ("no singing momma" is what I got and really, who could blame the kid). I recited Brown Bear to him (no light necessary, know that one by heart). I asked him about his day at school and all his friends. "Apple juice" is all I got in return with crying sprinkled in every so often for good measure.
During all this nonsense, I am getting kicked, poked in the ribs by Brown Bear, Panda Bear AND Polar Bear, and at one point socks were tossed at my head. This went on until around 1:30 a.m. and I decided I had had enough. I asked him if he wanted to go sleep in his crib. He enthusiastically jumped up, grabbed the bear trilogy and his blanket and proclaimed "YES" (clearly, he has no idea what I have just asked him).
I take him to his room and the minute we walk through the door he starts hysterically crying/screaming. I put him in his crib and told him to lay down and go to sleep...it was night night time. He responded that he would like "mo apple juice." I left the room and he began literally screaming at the top of his lungs. I am surprised the neighbors didn't come over to check on us. He was doing a combination screaming/crying that was making him gasp for air. He would only stop the sream/cry to catch his breath and when he did, he would throw in a "mo apple juice" for shits and grins.
Now, it's 2:00 a.m. and I can't take much more. I go back in his room and tell him this is it, he can lay down with me but no more of these antics. I take him to my room and tell him not one word...to which he replied "mo apple juice." He finally calmed down and fell asleep a bit after 2:00 a.m. That's when I began my tossing and turning and mentallly calculating exactly how much sleep I would get if I fell asleep right that very moment. I finally fell asleep sometime around 2:30 a.m. This morning I was so startled by the alarm going off, I jumped straight out of bed into the Heisman position.
As I sit here blogging this morning, he is still asleep. What's his hurry to get up after all. Now, I am tired/grouchy/grumpy/etc. and I won't get to take a mid-day nap like some of us. In hindsight, perhaps he won this battle.
I will be interested to see what he has to say for himself when he finally gets up this a.m. I am guessing it won't be "I sorry momma" or "I love you momma" or "morning momma." I'm putting my money on this first words being "mo apple juice."
xoxo
6 comments:
now that's a blog...you go! sorry you had the waaay early mornin' drama. i'm rooting for...TEAM MOMMA! yeah!
mo juice! love it :)
guess i can't edit my comment, so i'll start over. i just wanted to say that i know what you're going through because i did it when the girls were little and i had to work. i got to a point where i kept a cup of water in their room and told them if they were thirsty, it was water or nothing! it is not easy, but you will blink and then he will be checking out colleges and you'll be missing these days, lack of sleep and all! he'll be hitting that home run in high school and you'll hear this little voice inside you say "mo juice!". christopher sleeps with me every night and i'm sure some people think that's terrible, but who cares. like you, i don't want to pass up any snuggle opportunity! it goes by far too quickly! enjoy and good luck!! :-)
And that's why God makes them so freaking cute... so you don't put them out with yesterday's garbage!
OMG! What a night! I remember those nights, sweetie! Cerena used to do the same thing, only her thing was that she wanted a glass of water & then I had to read her every book in her bookshelf (including Brown Bear, Polar Bear & Goodnight Moon)til I was exhausted (mentally, physically & very other way possible). I too made the mistake of giving up & letting her sleep with me, now she still can't sleep by herself. She's afraid if she rolls over and doesn't feel somone next to her. Michael & I have tried everything, even putting up a gate in the hall - that worked for a little while. Now at almost 9 yrs old, she's just starting to sleep in her own room. Along with the screaming temper-tantrums, this too shall pass. Keep in mind, too that he may have separation anxiety. That happens more often than you'd think.
PS: we used to put Cerena in the stroller & run around the island in the kitchen like Ben Hurr.
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