the bunk bed saga

The bunk bed experiment didn't go so well last night; I'm crossing my fingers it goes better tonight. Josh woke up around 9.30pm (unheard of!) before I'd done a general tidy up, before I'd done the dishes, before I'd had a shower, or brushed my teeth, or got into my pyjamas... Since he now sleeps UNDER Mia, I didn't let him cry too long for fear of waking her (can't cope so well with 2 awake kids in the night) so after failing to console him while still in bed, I yanked him out and took him through to the lounge to check him out (wasn't too hot, no rashes or bites, nappy fine - bad dream?). He gets into these moods sometimes and it's hard to get him out of them. Ben normally threatens to take him outside, and usually does, for a walk to the corner and back, which seems to settle him and bring him back to reality. I admit to being more of a sissy: don't really fancy walking outside at night with a crying boy in my arms. In any case, Ben was at work, so I wouldn't leave the house with one sleeping child unattended, no matter how short a period I was gone for. So I let him cry it out on my lap and slowly coerced him back to sleep in my arms. Isn't that what being a mother is all about? A warm, safe, comfortable place to be for any little body in distress. I walked back into the room after about 30 minutes with my little snoring bundle only to have him start crying again the second he was back on the mattress. It wasn't even a cold mattress! I'd just moved the hot water bottle out the way so there was a warm spot to plonk him on. I thought he'd calm down and gently fall asleep again...but to no avail. Repeat the process again. After 45 minutes I tried putting him to bed again. This time he performed even louder, working himself up to such levels of hysteria that I thought he would vomit with all his sobbing and coughing. By this time, of course, I'm more than annoyed that I'm not winning. My gentle demeanor has left the building temporarily and I see that the only way I am going to get him to go to sleep is if he is in my bed, beside me. So I told him to get into my bed while I brush my teeth, forfeit my shower and get into my pyjamas. He won't get in until I'm in already which is tricky because I have to put the light off and I just know he's going to think he's been abandoned in the darkness! Silly boy. I pulled him in with me and obliged his tantrum. He wanted me there, but not. This way but not that way...In the end I turned over and pretended the feet pounding my back was a lovely massage... All through the night he was unsettled and full of kicks for his bed partner. Not a great nights sleep for either of us. But I am certain I would have been up and down and up and down had I not succumbed. Lucky Ben was away. He's not a fan of little bed partners. I don't mind so much (we've been lucky to not have vigorous wrigglers).

In the morning, Mia came in for the morning snuggle and I commended her on being such a good girl for sleeping the whole night! In her NEW BUNK BED! What a big girl! What a clever girl. Joshka was still sleeping on the other side of me, doing a good impression of a teenager not wanting to wake before midday...I told Mia he'd been a grumpy bum all night. We laughed together until finally it really was time to get up (should have been up at 7, it was already 7.30). Finally Joshy woke up with a little smile and I told him Mia wanted her morning snuggle...he propped himself up and leaned over me to reach Mia who was leaning towards him on my other side, puckered his lips and gave her a gentle kiss. What a worthwhile little moment to remember, especially because she didn't pull away or recoil, she just smiled with me.