sweet dreams, baby!

Welcome back! This blogging thing is kind of fun. A mom's-book-club friend, who I saw tonight, advised that bloggers use a nickname for their child that he or she does not use in real life, in the unlikely but horrifying event that a lurker with not-so-good intentions sees your child in public and tries to lure them away using their name. Hence they will use a name the child does not know. So. I think I will refer to my darling boy simply as "Sweet Pea" for the time being. Yeah, his real name will be in the upcoming book, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it...a few "stranger danger" classes from now! Anyway, we just had our four-year checkup (10 percentile for height and weight, but that is okay according to the doctor--I don't have to have a football player, anyway). I was a little nervous telling the pediatrician about our sleep issues. I didn't want him to think I was being nutty; I think I already got pegged early on as an "anxious mom" because...I was! But, when you and your baby almost croak on delivery day, it tends to leave you a little apprehensive (more on that saga later). But, I was afraid the doc may think I was ridiculous for staying with my dear son until he fell asleep. Instead, he was completely unfazed.

I told the doctor, "We're having a hard time getting him to sleep"
"It's not your job to get him to sleep" he replied
"But, if we don't he keeps coming back downstairs" I protested
"Okay", he said with the confidence of someone who has four kids and has been doing this professionally for a while, "don't lay down with him anymore. You can sit on the edge of his bed until he falls asleep. If you go downstairs and he follows you, give him a warning that you are going to have to close him in his room if he comes out again. If he comes out again, hold the door from the other side for three to four minutes." (OMG, he will hate that!!!!)
"Then tell him if he lays back down in his bed, you will leave the door open," he said. "If he tries to come out again, hold the door closed for seven to ten minutes. If he does it again, then take away his night light" (sorry Doc, don't think I can do that) "and then if he does it again, take away his lovey." (sorry, don't think I can do that either).

I will start slow and do what i feel comfy with. Something's gotta give. The idea is to break him from us having to lay down with him every night. The doctor said not to sit next to him on the next night, but to sit in a chair next to the door instead, then maybe in the hallway, until he is broken of the habit. (Seems like I heard that technique on the show Super Nanny).

The pediatrician also said Sweet Pea is getting up and getting in our bed in the middle of the night because he is used to going to sleep with someone in the room, and that once he is used to going to sleep on his own, he will sleep through the night. Here comes my muddiness again: part of me likes him crawling into bed with us. As friends have pointed out, there will come a time when we will really wish he was still wanting to do that. Well, we can always have special occassions for that, but for now...I gots to get some sleep!

(And just now as I'm writing this, at 12:30 am, my Sweet Pea just came down the stairs and said in his most adorable voice "Hi, Mommy" and went and got in my bed. Move over Sweet Pea, here comes mama! ;))