I’ve never “taught” any of my children to dress themselves. The just did it. Until now. Sterling, at the ripe old age of nearly two and a half, needs to learn this. Clothes, in his opinion, are meant to be worn until they wear off. He loves whatever he has on, most certainly does not want to change, and will protest if you make him. He’s recently figured out how to put his shoes on, so I figured we’d take this a step further. The girls were changing their clothes multiple times a day at two, just for the fun of a cute new outfit. Sterling, not so much.
We started with pants, and he’s worn jeans backwards often these days, but darn it, he did it himself. Socks were today’s new item. He put one on quite successfully, put the second on rather crooked, and asked for help. I started straightening it when I realized he’d put the second sock over the first. Really?! Ah, we haven’t progressed in this whole learning process quite as far as I thought. His underwear are beautifully backwards though – and his shoes happened to land on the right feet today.
I decided three nights ago that it was about time for little Miss Ruby to sleep through the night. I’ve allowed midnight nursings (and 2:00, and 4:00…) to last far too long. I moved Sterling’s bed into Liberty and Eden’s, woke Ruby up before I went to bed for a last feeding, and put her to bed feeling like I might just cry along with her at 2:00 am. She didn’t wake until 4:20, I had to put her back in bed 4 times, but each time she only cried for a few seconds. It was strangely disappointing – Ruby has far more persistence than that! But all was good, and I was the only one laying wide awake, feeling the evidence of missing 4 nursings during the night!
The second night was even better – I had to put her back twice – I think. My brain doesn’t remember that far back. It is pitiful when she comes wandering into my room at some random wee hour, little fists signing “milk” for all they are worth, and I deny her – but she takes it better than I dreamed possible.
Last night, I told her once to go back to sleep. Awesome. I actually slept most of the night without waking up. It’s been, oh, a year and a half since that last happened. Sterling went back into his own bedroom, and nights have been reclaimed for sleep in our house. Beautiful.
Blaine’s working at Bass Pro Shops in the “Creative Services” department. He helps set up products to be photographed. He’s not actually touching a camera these days, painful for him, but at least it’s in the right field – and a paycheck to boot. Yesterday he came home with a big blister on his hand – he’d steamed clothes for hours and apparently decided his finger was also a bit wrinkled. Ouch. He said he’d told his co-workers not to tell me that he can iron. He hasn’t ironed in seven years. I told him neither had I! Not quite, but close. Wrinkles add character, right?
Love the orange diaper cover!
Yeah for Ruby!! I was just thinking it is high time for Joel to sleep through the night, too. He must have heard my threats, because he is only nursing one or two times now! I do understand the “strangely disappointing.” I think it has to do with the feeling our babies are growing up too fast.
Imiss your stories. that is great we are working on trying to get everyone to sleep through the night. It is hard. Ben is never going to leave matts side at night. he loves laying by his dad. I end up putting him to bed a thousand times a night and lacking sleep. Josh is doing very good I took all milk away in the night. Maddy still wonders in my room at night. I figure if she likes the floor at this point between ben not sleeping and josh just sleeping I will just let her. Glad things are going well for you.
That’s too funny about the ironing! We don’t do much of that here either. :)That is nice Ruby’s sleeping at night now. I still let Rebecca nurse… probably will until she’s weaned when she’s 3. But… it doesn’t interrupt my sleep for more than about 120 seconds… which is probably why I don’t mind. LOL. She is in her own bed in her own room to start the night though, which is progress. 🙂
Argh. Glad to hear Jordan’s not the only one who could care less about clothes. She can get her slip on shoes on, and that’s it. I’ve started working on it with her but she gets frustrated in like 2 seconds and screams and throws stuff. Not nice.