the sleepy fight

i'm not one of those people who think babies come to us as blank slates who know nothing at all.  but i find myself completely surprised when my little baby b can put things together and let me know how she feels about it - already???  for example, about a month or so ago, she really started letting me know how she feels about that carseat.  she hates that thing.  and, for some reason, it was so crazy to me that this little 3 month old knew just when she was going to get strapped into it.  her new thing is that she knows when she's going to be put to bed and cries because she either hates it or hates being left alone.  of course babies know things and of course they have opinions on such things and of course they can express their feelings on those opinions.  but sometimes it just blows my mind for a second that they can "already do that."  i'm getting lost in deep thought...

so putting her down for a nap is usually when i get this mad reaction.  when b is really, genuinely tired, she is the easiest baby to put to bed.  she goes in there awake and doesn't make a sound and just falls asleep.  but when she's not quite tired but it's naptime or bedtime?  oh boy.  she starts crying as soon as she makes eye contact with her crib.  she starts screaming as soon as i turn on the lighted toys and mobile.  and the worst part?  she looks up at me like, "how could you?"  it's kind of heartbreaking. 

most of the time, it lasts for about 30 seconds and she gives up.  but boy, when she has decided she is just not ready?  she will hang onto that opinion until you do something about it...

in great news, k has gotten so much better.  when we first moved her to her toddler bed, she was fantastic.  a few months later, it all changed.  that means, that for about 7 months or so, we have endured the "stay in your room or i'm going to ______" fight.  we've been through it all: leaving the door open/shutting the door all the way, taking toys away, bribes, screaming, crying, spanking, bungee-cording the door to "lock" it from the outside, letting her do whatever she wants, ignoring her, letting her play in the hall until she's tired, and on and on and on.  but once we moved baby b into her room (about a month ago) it has been wonderful!  not every night is perfect, but i'd wager 9 nights out of 10 are great.  k stays in her room most nights and plays quietly until she's ready to go to sleep.  once she makes that decision, she tucks herself in bed and conks out.  it's great! 

while k is doing great these days, i still have one complaint: the endless "i need to go to the bathroom," the "i need a drink," or the "i need help getting back into bed."  apparently i was full of the same crap, so while it's infuriating, i have to smile inside and just breathe.