strange bedfellows

Although Malcolm has always been (and continues to be) a great sleeper, he has turned into a bit of a hoarder and accumulated quite the arsenal of bedtime buddies ...

Each night, before settling in, he insists on filling his crib with various (security?) objects to the point that there is little room for him!

Here are some photos and descriptions of the objects in question to show you what I mean:


The moon block: It's nothing more than a half-circle piece of wood that my grandfather (Malcolm's great-grandfather) cut from scraps during one of his many home improvement projects. Part of a unique "building block" set that my cousins and I used to play with, it somehow ended up in my possession and now Malcolm has attached himself to this specific block. Notice the line of dark, knotty imperfection ... It must be this specific block (not any of the other half-circle pieces that are part of the set).

Bath letters ("Y" and "M" only): For Christmas, we gave Malcolm a set of foamy letters for use during bath time. For some reason, he insists on bringing "Y" and "M"along when it is time for bed ... It might be because they are orange, his favorite color. It might be because he likes to say "Y" and "M."

Plastic turtle toy: This was a Kids' Meal prize that Malcolm got while spending time with his Gramma and Grampa (my parents) one weekend. Back home and ready for a nap after that particular excursion, he cried and cried (tearfully saying "pop!" over and over) until we figured out what he wanted. The silly toy has two different heads that can pop in and out ... My son is a genius.

Plastic cookies (big and small): The big cookie was one of his first bed buddies. Then came the little (baby) cookie ... Now both are staples of his bed time routine.

Spot: Spot is (and has been) the security object of choice for a good year now. This polka dot blanket goes wherever Malcolm goes ... So, in the crib is no exception!

"Eating the Alphabet" board book: This library book (I guess my husband will have to continue to renew it over, and over, and over again ...) makes the cut because it has some bananas on the fourth page. It also proves useful as a little light reading material when Malcolm wakes up (and Mom wants an extra fifteen minutes of sleep).

Orange ball: This ball, a Christmas stocking gift from my parents, got to spend a couple nights in the crib, but since has been bumped out of the rotation. This is good news for me ... It is one less object to worry about!

Doughnut stars (not pictured): This flat, white disc with rainbow stars is part of a wooden doughnut set that Malcolm received for Christmas (it is one of the icing toppers that velcros into place). Since it has colorful stars (one of his favorite things), it quickly became a "must have" for bed time!


Count Von Count plush doll: If you've been reading here for any length of time, you know that Malcolm loves The Count (of Sesame Street fame)! Although he must be present at the start of the night, all too often he is on the floor by morning ...

Fuzzy duck plush: Once relegated to the shelf over his changing table, the fuzzy duck was recently upgraded to a space in the crib.

Talking shark plush: This hammerhead shark is not only cuddly, but also a learning toy! When squeezed (either on purpose or accidentally) it doles out interesting shark facts ... Not something that I expect to hear in the middle of the night (over the baby monitor)!

Domo plush: I'm not sure why, but I have always thought that Domo was super-cute. Of course, Malcolm agrees and insists he be part of his bed time entourage!

Little mousey: My sister-in-law crocheted Malcolm this little mouse years ago. He didn't really pay it much notice until somewhat recently when he learned the sign for "mouse" and decided that it had to be in the bed with him.

Orange Monster: A gift from his first Christmas, the Orange Monster has always been tucked away in the corner of the crib (so maybe this one is my fault). Much like The Count, he must start out in bed, but is usually on the floor by the morning.

Water (not pictured): Occasionally, Malcolm will request that his sippy cup full of water spend the night with him. The more the merrier, right?!

As you can see, all of these little trinkets are quite harmless (and even humorous!) right now. They haven't negatively impacted his sleep routine very much (and we haven't had any meltdowns because objects have gone missing), yet I'm really starting to wonder how things will work out when Malcolm inevitably makes the switch to his "big boy bed" sometime this spring.

Without rails and/or a bumper pad, there will be more opportunity for things to go missing ...

New cracks to fall into ...

Many more chances for him to wake up in a panic and wonder where [insert object here] has gone ...

I can only hope that Malcolm will graciously allow us to narrow down the group, little by little, until only the essentials remain (and by "essentials," I mean Spot because a blanket is big and much easier to locate when you're fumbling around at night!!).

fall back to sleep, please

I used to be a huge fan of the end of Daylight Savings time.

That extra hour of sleep was heaven.

"Falling back" was always met with open arms from me ... I practically looked forward to it like it was a holiday!

When Malcolm was born, other mothers would comment on how "babies don't care" about the end Daylight Savings. They would refer to schedules being disrupted, crazy sleep and wake patterns, and many other horrible things ... But I knew that I had nothing to worry about.

My baby loved sleep as much as I did.

My baby would relish in that extra hour of sweet, blissful sleep.

My baby would be agreeable, as always.

And, as I had predicted, Malcolm was a champ.

Absolutely nothing changed.

I was right.

It was no surprise. My baby kept right on sleeping ...

Unfortunately, things are not the same now that "my baby" has magically turned into a one-year-old.

Baby no more, Malcolm is still waking up at the same time he usually would ... As determined by the position of the sun in the sky (and definitely not the numbers on the clock).

While it's probably good for me to be up at 7:00 am (I know it could be much, much worse) to get a jump start on my work-from-home day, my body is just not used to it. I have been so spoiled by my excellent sleeper that these early mornings are making me wonder how I even crawled out of the bed for mid-night feedings.

Obviously, the days will roll by and we will develop some new routine.

Hopefully it won't be sabotaged by the beginning of Daylight Savings come spring time ... But I guess we'll have to wait and see!

midnight groundhog

Although I have been waiting to wake up from the dream I've been living in, Malcolm remains a great little sleeper.

He goes down in his crib with very little fuss (if any) and settles in to sleep within minutes. Then he continues sleeping for a good twelve hours straight ... Sometimes more if I'm really lucky!

It probably helps that the noises that come from outside of his room are nearly invisible to his sleeping ears. Police and/or ambulance sirens screaming down the street don't bother him. The clattering sound of pots and pans being put away in the kitchen (right below his bedroom) are of no consequence. The back screen door slamming shut (and shaking the house) when someone leaves or comes in doesn't startle him. His father yelling to his mother from downstairs (it seems that on more than one occasion, my husband forgets that we, indeed, have a baby) doesn't even phase him.

What can I say?

When he's down for the count, he's really down for the count.

However, drop a pin or let out the tiniest of whispers inside of his room and the kid literally springs to life from a dead sleep.

As mentioned in yesterday's fashion post, the weather in Cleveland was much more fall-like last week, dropping to become quite cool in the middle of the night. Malcolm typically sleeps with a fan going in the window (for the air flow and the noise) and, although he's been going to bed in little footy sleepers, I was concerned that he might get cold ... So I made the mistake of going in to turn his fan off.

It was about midnight, a good three hours since he had been put down (so, he was most definitely in a good, deep sleep) when I crept into the dark room and made my way toward the fan. As I passed the glider and ottoman in the corner, being very careful not to bump either of them, I stepped on a floorboard that let out a loud CRACK! Instantaneously, Malcolm shot up in his crib ... Not much unlike a groundhog does when it sees something larger approaching (or like this little guy, dramatic music included). His open, sleepy eyes were just barely visible in the glowing light of his baby monitor and they had spotted me. Continuing with my mission (even though I had obviously FAILED), I reached to turn off the fan.

The scream the kid let out in the meantime was deafening.

And all it took was a creaky little floorboard.

Luckily for me, he went back to sleep with little coaxing.

Maybe we need to invest in some bedtime earmuffs for his supersonic bedroom ears.

in the bag

My husband uses the expression "in the bag" to describe someone that has just woken up ... For example:

"Look who's in the bag!"

"He's in the bag."

"Man, I'm still in the bag."

I had never heard of such a thing in my entire life, so when I was told one morning that I was "in the bag," my attitude immediately jumped from good to bad ... Who tells their wife that she's in a bag? To me, the phrase just sounds mean, holds a negative connotation, and implies that I must look absolutely horrible and completely unready for my day to begin. I don't need to be reminded that I just woke up! I enjoy my sleep a little bit more than the average person, I think.

So, if you are still sleepy-eyed, dry mouthed, and/or not-quite-awake, to my husband (and his family, for that matter) you are "in the bag."

Moving on ...

As has been mentioned before, Malcolm is an awesome sleeper.

He is also an awesome waker-uper.

Just about every time I enter his bedroom to get him out of his crib, he is happy and excited for the day to begin (or continue, if he was down for a nap). He squeals and squirms and crawls in circles around the mattress, often headbutting the sides or falling on his face. His smile is contagious, even first thing in the morning ... Which is a good thing for a tired parent that just might need a little coaxing to get her day going.

Recently, Malcolm has really taken to a comfort object that he cuddles with when it is time for bed ... A little, baby blue rabbit attached to a blanket that we refer to as "Hugsy." Now, when I first enter the room in the morning, Malcolm is usually sitting in the same corner of the crib with "Hugsy" clutched in one hand (usually pressed up against his face) and a thumb in his mouth.

My heart melts at the sight!


Now, how could you (or why would you want to) refer to something so unbelievably precious as "in the bag?"

I certainly wouldn't.

sleeping beauties

If you would have asked me what I thought life with an infant would be like, I wouldn't have known what to tell you. I probably would have mentioned some of the old standbys ... Stories about sleepless nights, engorged breasts, projectile vomit (or spit-up), or dirty diapers from hell. Lucky for me, only three of these four were realities for me and my husband.

You see, it turns out we created a kid that likes to sleep almost as much as I do!

When other people (usually mothers) ask me if I'm getting any sleep, I almost feel guilty telling them that YES! I do ... Lots of it! And I have been since Malcolm was about two months old!

Our current schedule is probably the best one, yet ...

• Wake up at 8:00 am to nurse.
• Play for a little bit or read a story, then go back to bed by 9:00 am.
• Wake up at 11:00 am to nurse again.
• Eat some solids around 12:00 pm, play for a little bit, then take a nap at 1:00 pm.
• Wake up anytime between 2:00 and 3:00 pm and eat a snack.
• Play!!
• Nurse at 4:00 pm.
• Get sleepy for another nap around 4:30 or 5:00 pm.
• Wake up around 6:00 pm and eat "dinner" at 6:30 pm.
• Take final bottle at 7:30 pm, then read a story with Dad.
• Bed time by 8:00 pm.

Did you see that?

Twelve hours of sleep through the night and then another two in the morning ... And this trend has continued in the face of teething. I thought, for sure, I'd be up with a cranky baby when that time came ... But it hasn't!?

I also thought nap times would be a battle ... But I was wrong again! All I have to do is lay the kid down and he does the rest: He pops his sweet, little thumb in his mouth and he is off to dreamland in moments. Seriously. I don't know how to explain it and I'm left wondering how much longer he's going to keep up this charade.

I am so incredibly spoiled it isn't even funny.

In fact, I'm about 99% sure that the next kid (when that day comes) is going to be an absolute terror that doesn't need sleep! I guess I better continue to take advantage of it now, while I can!