Getting her to BED

The day Camilla was born, I was MORTIFIED to leave her in the nursery. I had written instructions for the nurses and the hospital that she was to be IN my room AT ALL TIMES! The only time they took her was for baths and check-ups. Our first night together, Wayne had to sleep at home; he had to work (because his boss would not allow him time off and promptly asked "You WILL be here tomorrow, right?"), and there was NO room in our tiny lil suite for him to sleep. I cried after he left my room for the evening.

Camilla was wheeled back in shortly after, and I left her in her "bassinet" as I ate dinner and watched the news. This tiny little creature kept tossing and turning in that hard little bed, so I moved her over in bed with me as I watched TV. She never moved while I was holding her, and I had to remind myself of what a TRAUMA it must've been for her that day. Going from an area of darkness and warmth and muted sounds to a world of light and noise and strangeness. We tucked for the night, and I wasn't worried for a moment that I would harm her!

The nurse would come in every hour and ask if she'd used the bathroom or to ask if she'd nursed at all.

Once we got her home, I kept the bassinet beside our bed, but NO MATTER how much cushion we put in it, she would wake as soon as we'd put her in there. I put her in the bed with us....and again, I never worried about rolling on her or hurting her. I was SO in love and she would sleep through most of the night (only waking long enough to eat and we'd change her). I was worried that this bothered Wayne. He claimed only to be worried about crushing her, but allowed me this luxury of keeping my precious lil one in bed with us.

To this day, I DO NOT regret her sleeping in bed with us. Last night, I decided since we've spent SO much time on her room and making it hers (with all her fairies and toys and such), that she was going to start sleeping in there more! We'd had her in there at one point in the past, but she suddenly developed a fear of something which bothered me to leave her in there!

Last night went fairly well. I've been "preening" her for this by getting her to sleep and placing her in a cot beside our bed. She sleeps there for a few hours and then climbs into bed with us. Now, my game plan is to place a child gate in the hallway, so she still has the availability of our bed.

At about 715pm, we went upstairs and laid down. She kept talking and asking me questions. I stayed firm on telling her to lay her head down and stop talking. For about 30 mins I stayed beside her bed (she kept asking me to lay down with her in her TINY toddler bed), and then I excused myself and told her I'd be back in a few minutes. I went downstairs, drama-free, and sat with Wayne for about 20 mins, and then she started calling, "MOmmmmmmy, COME here!" I went back to her room, and she asked if she could come down to the beanbag with me and confessed to "behave" if I'd allow it. And I did.

While I am still new to the whole parenting thing, I struggle with knowing if I am doing "right". I am going to be diligent about this, and take small baby steps working with her every night. Camilla didn't feel threatened in her room last night. She has a flashlight, her crib soother (attached to the foot of her bed) and her lovable glow baby, and they were ALL in the bed with her last night. She actually laid there by herself, IN THE DARK, with the hall light on. Tonight, we'll do the same thing. If I have to do it this way every night for a while, that's fine.

I ended up getting her to sleep on me (ALL 37" of her) and then put her in the cot. She slept there until 135am, when she woke up wet. We went potty, and she slept with me the rest of the night. BUT, she's NOT afraid of her room anymore! YAY.....slow going, but progress none-the-less!

~Ciao

ANOTHER bug is biting!

Great Smokies @ 1135am

  

I do it every year, but I have the itch this morning. It was beautiful and sunny; I put on a long, flowing skirt and a "springtime"  top....and wouldn't you know it, they were mowing in the business park! It was fate that I felt the tingle of spring! While walking into my building, I could smell the fresh-cut grass SO fragrant in the warmth of the sun.

I guess with all of the crazy storms setting us up for "tornado season" already, the itch started a little earlier than normal. But, if Mother Nature says it's time, then spring IS only a matter of days away! That's not to say we won't still have chilly nights, but I'm calling it out on no ice or snow....

TIME for KAYAKING!

~Ciao