escapes

It was last Saturday I believe when Abby first got out of bed during her naptime.  The girl was coming down with a cold and I'd just spent about 40 mins with her calming her down after a coughing/gagging fit had scared her to tears.  When I put her back down, I left to go run some errands.  While I was out, Kyle calls me.  He lets me know that I forgot to secure the gate at the top of the stairs.  How did he know?  Because while he was watching a basketball game, a certain little girl peeked out from hallway and said "Oh HI!!!"  She nearly gave Kyle a heart attack, but she was quite pleased with herself.

The next day, she got up a few times.  She's easily redirected - you really just have to say "go to bed" or just look at her.  She knows she's not supposed to be up.  Either way, I don't think it took more than once or twice before she stayed down.

Abby hasn't gotten out of bed anymore during her naps since then.  I think part of it may be that the nanny puts her down during the week.  We'll see how the weekend goes.

But, Tuesday night, she got out of bed about 30 mins after we'd put her down for the night.  For whatever reason, we cannot hear her get out of bed on the monitor.  I should have found a squeakier bed.  So, we don't know that she's up until we hear her at the top of the stairs either asking for us or rattling the gate.  As I mentioned, Abby has a little cold.  She's fine, but the drainage has given her a cough.  The poor thing wanted to be comforted, so she got out of bed.

The first few times, we walked her back to her bed, tucked her back in, and said goodnight.  By time 3, I stopped talking, and just helped her get back in bed.  Time 4: I just stood there and she got in bed herself, but then she got right back out for time 5 and whimpered at the gate, "mama?  Tuck-tuck?  Mama wanna tuck-tuck Abby?"  It was so sad.  She was sad that I hadn't tucked her back in.  So, I went back, and I tucked her - but with minimal fanfare and no speaking.

Times 6, 7, and 8 consisted of me standing in her doorway until she got back in bed on her own, and me pulling the covers up.  Here's where things get sad.  I stood outside her door listening to her talk.  She has no mental/verbal filter.  She was semi-crying, sniffling, and sounding OH so sad saying things like "Abby stay in bed now.  Abby sad.  Doggie, no crying doggie!  Doggie, go to sleep.  Doggie weally sad.  Abby weally weally sad too.  Get mommy?  No.  No no no.  No mommy.  Abby stay sleep.  No mommy now.  Doggie cry.  No cry doggie.  Go sleep doggie.  Go sleep Abby."  She went on and on.  I felt like the meanest, cruelest mother ever.  It made me sad.  Abby, if you're ever reading this when you're older - know that my heart broke listening to you and I wanted nothing more than to go rub your back and rock you...but I knew you had to figure this out on your own.  It ain't always easy teaching you, but it's for the best sometimes.

I think there was another time after that, but I don't remember.  She stayed down till 4am when I heard her coughing pretty bad.  I knew that would wake her up and scare her.  Sure enough, I hear her door open.  I met her in the hall - she had tears on her face and was looking down at the floor.  Wanting comfort, but expecting to be admonished.  I was nice this time.  I tucked her back in, rubbed her hair, rubbed her back, made sure she was ok, and kissed her.  She told me she was ok, she told me "wuv you mama, see you in morning"

No more escapes.

Last night, we reminded her before bed that she needed to stay in it all night.  She had a few coughing fits, and I thought she would get out to find me, but she didn't.  She stayed in all night. We made a big deal of it this morning, and she seemed proud of herself.

All in all, I'm glad she's trying this now.  I knew it was only a matter of time before she tried to figure out where the limits were around staying in bed, and now, we've had the opportunity to set our expectations and let her meet them.  And, really, if putting her back down 8 or 9 times for one night is as bad as it gets?  That's not even worth mentioning.

She loves getting up by herself in the mornings.  She's been waking up earlier - between 6 and 6:30.  Which is fine, she is very apt at entertaining herself.  The first thing she tells us when we see her in the morning is "I Woke Up!!!!!"  She always says it So excitedly.  She's a sweet sweet girl, really truly she is.