Last night was a long night for me. On a normal night, we go up to Jackson's bedroom around 7 (sometimes 7:30 on the weekend if he had a long nap or got up late from his nap) and get him into his jammies and clean diaper, read a story (bath night is only about 3 times a week) and then I put him in his bed, give him a bottle (yes he still gets them) and say good night, love you, I'll see you in the morning. And he may play around a bit but within 30 minutes he's snoring away.
Last night was not a typical night. I think he was over tired though he had a good nap and a good night the night before, and he's been sleeping a lot being sick. I'm not sure if it was perhaps because he's been sick and so tired, and he's tired of mommy and being home. We did get out to some stores yesterday and for a walk in the afternoon but it was cold. It may have been he didn't eat enough, I had to practically force him to eat a grilled cheese, and he didn't have much else. It could have been a combination of everything, I don't know, but by 9:30, after me going up about 10 times and putting him back in his bed, telling him it's night time and time for sleeping, and taking him a second little bottle, he finally fell asleep. Restless sleep with intermittent whimpering.
At 10:30 I went up to bed, exhausted, and checked on him. I put his covers up since it was cold last night, and he kicks them off. Then I went to my room to get ready for bed. He started crying. Not the whimpering cry but full on "mommy mommy mommy come back" crying. So I went back. And for the next hour we fought, and he cried, sobbed, and said he didn't want his bottle. He wanted to go downstairs to play, he wanted up on his change table to get out of his pajamas, he threw himself around, kicked me in the head twice (he was in his toddler bed and I was sitting beside it on the floor). I left his room a couple times because I was getting so upset I was ready to do anything just to make him sleep. He was sooo tired, his little eyes were red and droopy, he was yawning as much as he was crying. And thrashing. He wanted me to "come back" and to "go away", he was just not himself at all.
Finally, I just forced him to take the bottle, I knew it was the only way he'd fall asleep, I thought I could wait him out at first, that he'd exhaust himself and fall asleep, but I was beginning to realize that was not going to happen. So I forced the bottle in his mouth, he kept saying no no but then he took it and less than 5 minutes later he was out. Until 8 this morning. Sigh.
This morning he got up, I could hear him moving around his room but he wasn't calling me or fussing so I left him. Until he started trying the doorknob. I hadn't put a childpoof handle on it (yet) because he'd never been able to figure them out, but then as I was getting up and getting changed I heard him at my door, which is never closed all the way because the cats come and go. So he managed to get the door open this morning. He now has a childproof doorknob though. I'm not sure hot long it'll take him to figure that out, but I didn't want to have to gate the top of the stairs, it's awkward with a metal railing I'm not sure I could attach anything to, and a bigger than normal opening.
So that was my night, and this morning the crankiness carried over. He had a few meltdowns for no real reason, I'm sure he is still tired. I made him go up to lie down, just for a few minutes (he fell asleep so I'll leave him now) in hopes of just giving myself a little break. But what a night! Those are the nights I wonder how I'd manage two. How I can manage one! But I know it will pass, I mean he can't behave like this forever, right? Please tell me I'm right! And last night was one of those few nights I was very glad he falls asleep with a bottle, because without it we'd still be up there fighting it out I'm sure. Or maybe he'd have some other trick I could use. I hear vodka can knock kids out... I was sure tempted last night :-)
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