Musical bedtime.

When dealing with an insecure 22 month old, you have to tread carefully on what boundaries are enforced.

Liiiike bedtime. Not so much the time, or the way we do bedtime, but how strict I am at enforcing her place of slumber.

We know from today's earlier blog that last night was a camp-out in mama's bad, and that at naptime Miss T joined Punkin' in the mama's bed parade.

However, upon checking on my sleeping angels today, hoping with everything in me that they were all fast asleep, and I might, juuust might be able to take a midday shower; I snuck slowly down the stairs, careful to not make much noise.

It was quiet the whole way down, no noise that sounded like children playing, complete silence. Until the baby gate.

We have a baby gate at the end of the steps, to keep the munchkins from going up and down a ridiculous amount of times during the day. Now this gate, generally, not an issue. But today it might as well have been a drive thru bell alerting everyone that there is a customer approaching.

Or better yet, I might as well have been carrying a bull horn yelling "I'M DESCENDING THE STAIRWAY! WAKE UP!"

Worked like a charm, Punkin' was fully aware mommy was approaching, and almost as if on cue, sat up as soon as I took the final step down.

Now at this point in time you might be wondering if the stairs descend directly into the bedroom. They do not.

Punkin' was not IN the bedroom. Either of them.

She was fully camped out on the COUCH at the end of the stairs, almost as if to know as soon as I had come downstairs. Whether on purpose or just worked in her favor, it worked.

I tried to lay down with her, and lull her back to sleep with a baby massage, back rub, head rub, you name it, however efforts failed.

No sooner than she started to drift back into slumber, and I might have just been able to sneak a 30 minute power-nap in, Miss T comes strolling out asking if it was time to wake up.

As much as I wanted to say, "No.. indeed it's not"

It kind of was.

So I decided that I could still try and take a quick shower, I'd already had my heart set on it after all, and I could just allow Punkin' full access to the bathroom where I'd be doing so.

She SCREAMED the entire time, and attempted to climb INTO the shower with me on numerous occasions.

Why this was such a system shock of insecurity, I dunno. I'm naked, and soapy, how far do you think I can REALLY go without you noticing? I'm obviously behind a sheer curtain, in a little box, showering. I'm talking to you, I'm not going to pull a houdini and magically be upstairs and walking out the door with van key in hand.

However, again, this is a moment where I really can't be too stern, regardless of my frustrations, because to Punkin' this has been one of the most traumatic events in her life.

Well, besides being birthed.

But that's why we don't remember that nonsense.

So I talked softly to her, assuring her I was JUST taking a shower, I was not a flight risk, and I'd be out ASAP.

This did not seem to matter.

She was not okay with this event, not until I was out, dressed, and able to sit her on my hip.

So as well as no nap, I didn't get a peaceful daytime shower as I had hoped.

But I can't really complain too much - I am clean, she's content (for the moment) and all is well in the household.

I'm sure at some point today there will be another meltdown of some sort, and Punkin' will probably become an extra appendage upon feeling sleepy...

 but so goes my life.

'Till next time.