Wedding, Bedtime Routine, Etc.

We have had an uneventful couple of days...

We went to Jason's cousin Shane's wedding yesterday afternoon. Rosalyn was fairly well behaved. We sat in the back just-in-case, but we didn't have to run out of the church with a tantruming toddler, thank goodness! She looked really sweet in her pink ballerina skirt dress and sequined pink slippers, but was more like a bull in a china cabinet in her new outfit. She ripped her headband off, threw the shoes on the floor, pulled off one leg of her tights and raised her skirt over her head...not lady-like at all. She also spit up left over spaghettios from lunch on the front...gross. However, she had a lot of fun eating cake and dancing to the music!

Afterwards, we went out to eat with the Kelly fam which was lots of fun. I had some onion rings from Jax...I had been craving them! I still stayed within my points and have lost nearly 12 lb now!

Today, we went to church and then came home to take long 3 hour naps! Yay for naptime! Rosalyn woke up a little early again today at 7:30 am and consequently was quite a grouchy little girl by the time we got home from church at noon. She is still not feeling great...cough and stuffy nose. She refused to eat her cheese quesadilla and avocado for lunch, so I laid her down for a nap...she went straight to sleep without even a peep! After waking up at 3:30, she was much more pleasant and ready to play. All three of us went for a long walk this afternoon...it was really nice to just walk and talk without all the distractions of home (phone/tv/internet/cleaning/cooking/etc). After our walk, we ate leftovers for dinner and played a while longer before bedtime for Rosalyn. She was still tired because she was more than happy and willing to go to bed tonight at her usual 8:30 bedtime.

Here is Rosalyn's bedtime routine:

*I give any medicine needed and suction nose, clip fingernails, etc. before quiet play...try to do all the unpleasant stuff up front!

*All three of us usually participate in bedtime...if Jason is at work, then my mom is often here for bedtime.

1. Quiet playtime...we go in her playroom and do puzzles, books, music, or just play for about 20 minutes.

2. Milk sippie and snack...usually something like fruit/veggies + cheese/yogurt/pudding + crackers/toast/oatmeal...I try to make it balanced so her tummy stays full all night.

3. Bath/brush & dry hair/brush teeth/lotion/diaper/PJs...all of this takes place in her bathroom.

4. She says night-night to everyone...she tells whoever is in the bathroom with us (Jason or my mom) bye-bye and gives kisses. Then I give her a paci and she lays her head on my shoulder. Only she and I go into her room...the little stinker will not go to bed for anyone else!

5. We walk quickly to her room (I already have it dark, blankets fixed, heater/fan on, heartbeat bear playing, etc). I hold/rock her standing up in front of her bed for about 1 minute while I kiss her, say a prayer, and tell her I love her.

6. Bedtime...When she starts reaching for the crib, I lay her in her bed and cover her up with her two favorite blankets and snuggle her bunny beside her. She is usually asleep with no tears before I even get out of her bedroom.

This is the same basic bedtime routine we have used since she was a newborn...I would have to say it has worked well for us! I am firm believer in developing healthy sleep habits from early on, but in a gentle, loving, child-focused, and emotionally healthy way.

She usually sleeps 12 hours/night (8:30-8:30) + one 2 hour/nap...so 14 hours/day total. And believe me, she does not function well without it (like mother, like daughter!).

The bedtime routine has to be the exact same every night...she knows if something is different and she does not like it! She refuses to go to bed for anyone but yours truly, so she stays up an extra hour on the evenings I have to work. She is otherwise a very flexible baby/toddler, so this surprises me. Our pediatrician and all my books tell me that a strong preference for routines/primary caregiver is normal and expected with toddlers, so I don't worry.

Just in case you ever wondered what happens at our house between about 7:30 and 8:30 each evening, now you know! Jason and I are hesitant when we talk about possibly having another baby...everyone says we can't possibly get such a good sleeper two times in a row, so I am afraid of what might happen if we push our luck.

On a side note, please pray Rosalyn's cold/allergies/whatever it is will get better. I think she has pretty much had a runny nose + cough since October and it is driving us crazy. I was awake last night from 1 am-2 am listening to her cough and praying it would stop! I am medicating her at night to help her sleep which helps, but you can tell she doesn't feel great sometimes. At her 18 month appointment, I plan to ask our doctor if she thinks this is just normal toddler cold stuff or if she is possibly having some allergy issue that needs to be addressed.