No way around it. This was a rough morning. John has been having problems sleeping all the way through the night again, and the past few nights has woken up at least an hour before my alarm goes off. Considering I don’t really sleep enough anyway, this is not a particularly good thing. We’ve been sitting down with him and giving him a drink, eventually getting him back to sleep. Also, we’re weaning him off his pacifier, which is like coming off heroin for the poor kid. All of that added up to a 0330 wakeup today, and a very tired mama and daddy.
We decided to try a different tack this morning, and we gave him his drink, then made him get back in bed. After a few minutes, the crying began, and persisted for some time. He’d start alternating between throwing a fit and yelling for “Mama!” or “Daddy!” Then he would get out of bed and come to our room. We’d ask him what was wrong and each time it would be something different (he knows he isn’t supposed to get out of bed unless something is wrong).
The first time he came out of his room, it was just a lot of crying, and Jen put him back in bed.
We laid there for a few minutes, waiting for him to stop crying and fall asleep. He eventually opened the door and Jen asked him what was wrong.
He came into our room clutching the back of his diaper and saying “peepoo.”
Jen checked his diaper and there was no peepoo, but several saturated gallons of pee in his diaper. Jen changed him and we let him lay in bed for a little bit before we took him back to bed. I said a little prayer and kind of stroked his hair for a few minutes. He seemed sleepy so I took him back to his room.
He started crying right away and I came in and laid down again for a few minutes. Then I started getting ready for work. It was a little early, but also too late to go back to sleep. We heard him start yelling again, “Daddy daddy DADDY!” The funny thing about it was that he was clearly sleepy.
Then he opened his door and came out. I told him he needed to get back in his bed and he did, fussing all the way. A few minutes later he opened his door again and said “boogers.” He came into our room grabbing at his nose. I cleaned it with a wipe and then put him back in bed again.
A few seconds later he came to the door again and I told him he needed to get back in bed again. He said “turtle. My turtle!” and was very upset.
I laid him in his bed, and placed his stuffed turtle in his hands. “Here’s turtle,” I said. “Now you need to go back to sleep.”
We started playing music in his room last night for a little background noise, and just then I Will Not Be Moved by Natalie Grant came on. I told him to listen to the music and stroked his hands and feet (he’ll put them in front of you and say ‘tickle’). He quieted, and then I started to walk out of his room.
“No no no!” he said, and I walked back over to his bed, telling him it would be ok, but he needed to go to sleep.
I held his hand for a minute and prayed over him again, this time just thanking God for the blessing that he (John) was, and towards the end of my prayer In The Hands of God by the Newsboys came on. John was silent, looking at me. His eyes started getting heavy, and I whispered “just listen…”
He fell asleep seconds later and I stood there looking at his little face. So peaceful…and without his ‘fier.
I thanked God for him again, and then realized I was going to need some caffeine desperately or it was going to be a hideous day.
44 ounces of Diet Dr Pepper later, I’m sitting at my desk, and hoping Jen got at least a little more sleep. I think I’m gonna go to bed early tonight. John does seem to be detoxed from his pacifier (mostly). So that’s good….
A Work in Progress 