Taking Turns

Over the course of time, the Hoos and I have divided nighttime parenting duties by child. I handle AK and he gets LP.

The division was originally made because I was nursing and it didn't make sense for him to get up in the middle of the night if AK was hungry. Since I stopped nursing in April we have just stayed the course - it doesn't help that AK is a mama's girl; although, occasionally, it does. Because if the Hoos goes in to her room to comfort her, he can get away with rubbing her back. If I go in,she stands up and insists on some full-on cuddle-comforting.

It has worked out pretty well, actually. AK is really good about going to sleep. You give her a bottle and lay her down and she sticks her tush in the air and hunkers down for the night. LP requires quite a bit more effort. She draws out the nighttime routine - insisting on watching some Tinkerbell, peeing, pretending to poop, brushing her teeth, flossing, requiring a song (or ten), complaining that one thing or another hurts, until finally falling asleep way closer to OUR bedtime than we would prefer.

Recently however, we have both been getting the short end of the stick. Every other night it seems someone else is waking up. LP is having bad dreams involving farm animals or seagulls. AK is teething and booger nosed.

The other night LP sneaked into our room and I didn't even notice until she was in my face complaining about a pig chasing her. Fortunately she went back down easily once the Hoos walked her back to bed. Well, at least by the second time.

AK was up at 5:30 this morning, crying. I tried to just give her the pacifier, but that only worked for about as long as it took me to walk back to bed. I then held her for five minutes before returning her to the crib, and rubbing her back.

Looking back we had about three months of nights with uninterrupted sleep. I just hope that isn't it until the girls move out.