Daddy the pillow fluffer...

Gianna started waking up once or twice a night after we came home from Disney.... LAST November. 

We go in, (and I say we figuratively) and find her stuffed animal, fluff her pillow and cover her and she is back to sleep for another few hours until her pillow gets flat again.

Well, Daddy went on a business trip and passed the pillow fluffing baton to me, which is never a good thing. I need my sleep.

I started out as all sleep deprived mommies do, by offering to reward her for sleeping through the night. I appealed to her love of Cinderella stickers.

I knew it wasn't working when I tucked her in and said, " Now Gianna are you going to cry tonight?"

"Uh, huh. I cry..."

Hmmmm..... That got me thinking.

She has our number. Big Time.

I cry+ call your name pitifully= You come running to fulfill my every whim at 3 AM.

I could see us being one of *those* families on Super Nanny, who needs a major intervention. Sobbing for the camera and saying, " I don't know how it has gotten this bad." And Super Nanny would trace it back to Nov 2008 when we started all this nonsense.

So I decided to take it upon myself to stop this once and for all!

She woke up at 1:30 AM whining, then crying, then SCREAMING MAD that I wasn't running to her beck and call. She finally calmed down and started calmly calling my name. 

Three hundred times. Very calmly.

I caved. I went in and handed her Curious George, fluffed her pillow and covered her. And firmly told her I would not come in if she cried again.

Super Nanny would be proud.

Then she did the WHOLE routine again. I can withstand whining. I can ignore crying. I can be strong.... that is, until she calmly calls my name over and over. 

So I went in again and told her to cover herself up. I walked back into my room to see her on the video monitor doing just that. Fluffing her own pillow, pulling up her covers and finding her Curious George and rolling over. That Stinker!!!

ACK!!  Now What?????

She now knows that calmly calling is her ticket, and I will come in. She's right, I will. I want her to know I will come if she needs me. I foresee this continuing until she is  at least 14.

I really need my sleep and I have NO IDEA what to do from here- any suggestions?

Anyone????


Comments

  1. KimFebruary 3, 2009 at 6:08 PM

    Earplugs??!!!! I know the 'need my sleep'. The boy child that you love so much has decided to wake up 4-5 times a night. Last night he went to bed at 7, woke at 10:45,
    back to sleep, up at 12:30, up at 2:00 and finally up at 4:00 for the start of HIS day. Needless to say, when he cannot sleep he must inform MaMa IN PERSON of his quandry. We are having a LONG discussion before bed tonight that he cannot come share with me each time he wakes up. I need some ZZZZZZs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. amyFebruary 3, 2009 at 8:33 PM

    I learn from you my friend!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2009 at 6:40 AM

    Tell her that Daddy will be home in a couple of days and things will be back to the way they were! She calls, daddy fluffs and mommy sleeps!

    ReplyDelete
  4. VashtiFebruary 4, 2009 at 11:22 AM

    Oh no!!!! I know how you feel, both of mine started to do it before christmas. but now joe goes into jesses room and gets into bed with him in the middle of the night and they start playing....aaaahhhhhhh!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. CheriFebruary 4, 2009 at 12:01 PM

    ((HUGS)) I wish I could offer some help. I'm not sure what I'd do.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnneFebruary 6, 2009 at 11:32 AM

    Hee, hee, no helpful advice, just giggling thinking of how these little girls have sure got your number :)
    Anne, glad she's in Sicily so you can't come over and smack me upside the head...

    ReplyDelete
  7. BossDelaneyFebruary 8, 2009 at 5:57 PM

    PRAY that God will help you overcome the urge to get up and go to her! HE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN TRULY HELP US!!!!! =)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Laura and ErikFebruary 11, 2009 at 10:22 PM

    We went and bought another monitor so we could hear Ellie Grace -I don't know why we did that when she likes to slam our door open and come tell us why she is awake!

    ReplyDelete

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