regression

I mentioned in my previous post how I've gone from seeing Abby all day, to only a few hours a day. Add to that, I leave for work before she usually gets up in the mornings and that means that when I put her down at night, I don't see her again until 3:30pm the next day.

Which, explains her most recent behavior change.

She's done it the past few nights, and since it correlates with when I went back to work, I'm assuming that's the cause. After Kyle and I go through the entire bedtime routine with her, after we've changed and brushed teeth and cleaned up and read books and had water and said our prayers and turned out the lights and given hugs and kisses and tucked her in and surrounded her with her animals and walked out and shut the door -

she cries.

And it's one of those cries that says "I'm screaming as loud as I possible can because I want you to hear me because I want you to come back!"

So, I go back. She's standing in her crib and as soon as she sees me, she says (between sobs) "Up? Up? Chair? Chair?"

So, I pick her up and we sit in the glider and she puts her head on my shoulder, hugs my neck and I feel her body relax. I rub her back until her sobs give way to normal breaths and a little more until those breaths turn to deep restful ones.

I could sit in that chair with her for hours and love every second of it. Because, well, I miss her too. I guess that's why I go back in - it's not because I don't want to hear her cry, it's because I want a little more time with her too.

After about 5 minutes, or 10....or maybe 15. I whisper to her, "time to go night-night" She sits up in my arms, sighs, and says "nigh-nigh"

When I put her back into her crib and tuck her back in, she's relaxed and sleepy. I haven't heard another peep since then.

Abby, what can I say, you melt my heart.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and I promise, we're going to spend all day together.