January 3, 2011

Milk, Monkeys, and Negotiating with a 1 year old

It was sometime after the kids were in bed but before my husband and I sat down to eat. I looked at him and smiled. We made it. Two weeks of the holiday break were over, and we survived, mostly unscathed. Moe would be back to school, Jeff would be back to work and Jelly and I would once again be left to our own devices. In my head, I was already composing my post about some of the interesting progress that Moe showed over the break.

But I knew to add a caveat. I know my kid. "We still have one more night to go," I said. Things can never be that easy, and sure enough,around 11:15 (approximately one second after I had fallen asleep) we heard Moe moving around in his crib. Not long after, he was crying, screaming at the top of his lungs.

His beloved Monkey has been missing for days, but I had a backup. Backup Monkey is actually Monkey #1, that I had retired because it was too beat up, chewed to pieces. But Monkey #2, current Monkey, has probably surpassed #1, so I retrieved first Monkey from my dresser drawer, where I was saving him to put away in Moe's keepsake box. Moe screamed when I entered his room, the light from the hall bothering his eyes. He took monkey, but continued screaming.

15 minutes later he rejected the cup of water I brought him.

After about 40 minutes, near midnight now, I remembered that although Moe had eaten plenty at dinner, he hadn't touched his milk. Jeff brought him a cup of milk. The house got quiet and Moe drank his milk. After a few minutes, he got up from Jeff's lap, climbed back into bed and settled down. I can't help but think how different things would be if Moe could just say "milk!"

I wish I could say that was the end of it. Unfortunately, Jelly woke up and was awake for hours. Ever try reasoning with a 1 1/2 year old at 2 am about how she has to be quiet so she won't wake her brother? We did. Then Moe was up again, though quietly this time, and once again at 6:15. At 7, when I went to get him up for school, he was sound asleep. Of course.

Strangely, he didn't protest too much when I got him up. He ate some breakfast. When I told him again "school today!" he looked at me with wide eyes and huge smile, as if to say "really, Mom?" He was all giggles getting into the car. I don't know why Moe woke up last night. I think he wakes up every night but most nights falls back asleep on his own. Maybe he really was just hungry. But could it have been that he was excited about school today?

I know I am.

9 comments:

  1. My 22 month old was up last night too and reasoning doesn't work, I think it will be years before it does *sigh* Hope you have a lovely quiet day today and maybe even have a nap to catch up on your broken night. Jen

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  2. Me too. I'm glad break is over. Although the house is a little quiet without them today. That'll end at 3:45 when I pick up the boy.

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  3. Enjoy today! My daughter doesn't go back to school until next Monday. For some reason L.A. Unified believes kids should get 3 full weeks off for the winter holiday.

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  4. Hurray for back to school! Hope you have a great day and night tonight.

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  5. Sorry you had such a rough one. Moms need their sleep so desperately. We start school again tomorrow. I'm scared about how it's going to go down. He was NOT exactly earning student of the week just before break. Oh well...ready or not.

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  6. I am so happy my son is back at school, but he did pretty well during break. Each year it seems to get easier.

    And so often I read about your sleepless nights and I just feel for you. I know exactly how it is. Two nights last week I honestly got no sleep. Just minutes between the screams and cries. As soon as you said, "(approximately one second after I had fallen asleep)" my stomach turned because I have been there too many times! It is the worst, the absolute worst.

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  7. Yeah, I would go with him being very excited to go back to school. I'm soooo glad that break is over, and yet...it is really almost the weekend already?

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  8. Happy New Year! Growth spurt for Moe maybe?
    I'm sure he looks forward to activities in school.
    Its so great!

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