As kids go, Hannah has always been pretty easy at bedtime--just a short period of hard times about a month after arriving home--otherwise pretty low stress.
These past couple weeks have been another bad stretch. She goes to bed just fine but then will not go to sleep. I have always held her until she is asleep and these past couple weeks she starts kicking, waving her arms, sitting bolt upright--any movement that keeps her awake and then after about 30-40 minutes of that she starts fighting to get out of my arms. I have tried laying her down at that point but it just prolongs the whole process. We both have ended up frustrated until she finally gives in to sleep--often as late as 10pm so I have very little free time afterwards.
Well--tonight was a bedtime of my dreams. At 7:30 she told me she was done with her bath (she never says that as she knows it means bedtime), she was so relaxed while I rubbed her with lotion, she said her prayers beautifully--when she was done she looked at me and said, "God is happy?"--Yes, Hannah, God is very happy you talked to him so nicely. Then she snuggled into my arms and lay there without squirming. She stared into my eyes and I whispered "I love you". Everytime I did that her eyes would flutter shut and then open again until after about the 10th time she whispered back "okay" and they did not open again--she was sound asleep by 8:00. It was so lovely and loving.
I know it won't happen this way often but tonight I am basking in the feeling and reading a good book.
1 comment:
Sleeping Beautifully :) We would go through periods of similar things with Ben. Something would seem conquered and then we faced it again. For us it is sleeping & eating. Whenever he is stressed in some way or hitting a developmental point (talking more, growing more, able to do more) we notice sleep is harder & food challenges return. You are doing awesome - she knows she is safe & can trust you!!
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