Sydney, Unleashed
Ackkk!! I think I've created a monster. Sydney has learned to crawl off the bed. Every night, it's the same routine before going to bed. She likes to crawl over me to get to the edge of the bed. She would then hang her head over the edge to check out the floor below and then...[beep, beep, beep] the truck goes into reverse. She would back her little rear end toward the edge of the mattress, stick one leg over the side to get a feel for the height, then slide the other leg over...and ZIP!! down to the carpet she goes.
There goes my little nightcrawler. She hovers by the side of the bed for a few minutes, playing with the bedskirt and pulling on the loose threads. She would stare at her hands in the dark to see if she had managed to work any of the threads completely loose. In the dimly lit room with only a night light to show her the way, she then would drop to all four and crawl toward the little wicker basket next to her changing tables. The basket is full of little bottles of lotion, cream, shampoo, and whatever else Tracie uses on the baby. It's Sydney's favorite "toy chest." Every night, she goes to the basket to pull out one item at a time to throw on the floor. She usually does not stop until she finds her comb with the soft rubber handle. It's her favorite "toy". Then she would find her way to the dresser to clang the metal handles for a few minutes. She would then turn to the humidifier to see if she could change the setting or turn the fan on. Once that was unsuccessful, she would turn her attention to the chaise. She has discovered how to slide off the chaise not she is not quite tall enough to climb back on. Yet she tries, almost every night. Last but not least, she would return to the side of the bed and call to me to pick her up to get her back on the bed. A few minutes later, we would start the whole routine over again once she is bored with being on the bed with two exhausted parents.
How did we get to this? It's totally my fault. I am one of those idiotically doting parents who thinks everything his child does is cute. I remember a couple of weeks ago telling Tracie: "Look, look, look. Look how smart Sydney!" as I was able to unveil her latest trick. She had just discovered how to slide off the bed safely with me clinding tightly to the back of her shirt. I was just tickled that she learned to slide backward off the bed. Tracie was not so thrilled. She told me: "You better hope she never slides off the bed by herself and crack her skull against the siderail." I just laughed it off. Sydney is, afterall, ultra-smart and would do no such thing.
So each night, I beamed as Sydney crawled over me to go sliding off the bed. After a week of this, it got old. But she was unstoppable. She would not go to sleep if she didn't get a chance to work off some extra energy. Now I'm paying the price. Tracie would not look after her after Sydney has begun her excursion into the darkness. She has totally been unleashed. And I was stuck waiting it out until she was ready to get back into bed for the last time to fall asleep.
Have I tried to put her into the crib to work off her energy and to fall asleep by herself? Oh yes!! I've tried. It went over like a rock each night. She might go as far as lying there looking and touching everything. Once she was bored, she would spring up like a shot and start shaking the railing of the crib like a prisoner trying to shake the bars loose. Then the high pitch wailing would start along with the streams of tears. That is one thing she is very, very good at. The tears can come at will. My little drama queen!! Last night, we managed to rock her to sleep and let her sleep in the crib for the first time in a while. She slept until about 4:30 am before getting up to cry for us. I couldn't get her to fall asleep again so I took her to our bed. She curled up against me and finally went back to sleep. I have to admit I kinda miss having the little booger sleeping next to me. At some point, I guess I better let sleep the entire night in the crib and get used to it.
But then again, how would she be able to crawl around the room at night in the darkness? I dread the day she figures out how to get out of the crib.
There goes my little nightcrawler. She hovers by the side of the bed for a few minutes, playing with the bedskirt and pulling on the loose threads. She would stare at her hands in the dark to see if she had managed to work any of the threads completely loose. In the dimly lit room with only a night light to show her the way, she then would drop to all four and crawl toward the little wicker basket next to her changing tables. The basket is full of little bottles of lotion, cream, shampoo, and whatever else Tracie uses on the baby. It's Sydney's favorite "toy chest." Every night, she goes to the basket to pull out one item at a time to throw on the floor. She usually does not stop until she finds her comb with the soft rubber handle. It's her favorite "toy". Then she would find her way to the dresser to clang the metal handles for a few minutes. She would then turn to the humidifier to see if she could change the setting or turn the fan on. Once that was unsuccessful, she would turn her attention to the chaise. She has discovered how to slide off the chaise not she is not quite tall enough to climb back on. Yet she tries, almost every night. Last but not least, she would return to the side of the bed and call to me to pick her up to get her back on the bed. A few minutes later, we would start the whole routine over again once she is bored with being on the bed with two exhausted parents.
How did we get to this? It's totally my fault. I am one of those idiotically doting parents who thinks everything his child does is cute. I remember a couple of weeks ago telling Tracie: "Look, look, look. Look how smart Sydney!" as I was able to unveil her latest trick. She had just discovered how to slide off the bed safely with me clinding tightly to the back of her shirt. I was just tickled that she learned to slide backward off the bed. Tracie was not so thrilled. She told me: "You better hope she never slides off the bed by herself and crack her skull against the siderail." I just laughed it off. Sydney is, afterall, ultra-smart and would do no such thing.
So each night, I beamed as Sydney crawled over me to go sliding off the bed. After a week of this, it got old. But she was unstoppable. She would not go to sleep if she didn't get a chance to work off some extra energy. Now I'm paying the price. Tracie would not look after her after Sydney has begun her excursion into the darkness. She has totally been unleashed. And I was stuck waiting it out until she was ready to get back into bed for the last time to fall asleep.
Have I tried to put her into the crib to work off her energy and to fall asleep by herself? Oh yes!! I've tried. It went over like a rock each night. She might go as far as lying there looking and touching everything. Once she was bored, she would spring up like a shot and start shaking the railing of the crib like a prisoner trying to shake the bars loose. Then the high pitch wailing would start along with the streams of tears. That is one thing she is very, very good at. The tears can come at will. My little drama queen!! Last night, we managed to rock her to sleep and let her sleep in the crib for the first time in a while. She slept until about 4:30 am before getting up to cry for us. I couldn't get her to fall asleep again so I took her to our bed. She curled up against me and finally went back to sleep. I have to admit I kinda miss having the little booger sleeping next to me. At some point, I guess I better let sleep the entire night in the crib and get used to it.
But then again, how would she be able to crawl around the room at night in the darkness? I dread the day she figures out how to get out of the crib.
posted by DaddyEyeduck at 12:34 PM
1 Comments:
ahhh, the joys of parenthood! LOL! you need to do "spirit fingers" (ABC family channel - cheerleading show) where you wiggle them around and tickle Sydney. we do that to Hayley (or she asks us to) for about 15/20 minutes and she usually conks right out. yeah, you're right....they need to work off that last bit of energy before they conk out for the nite. as for the crib - they have tents that you can put on top to supposedly keep them in. ;)
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