Tiny Nightmares: No Sleep

Jude got up at 4am crying, must've had a nightmare. I didn't realize how early it was, even though the sun hadn't risen yet. Assuming it was like 6 or so, I scooped him up and just climbed into his bed with him. He dozed back off for about an hour but then woke up crying again and seemed unable to get comfortable with me beside him. He gets out of bed and leaves.

I assume he has gone out to lay/sleep on the couch. I put up the baby gate and go to grab my phone from beside the bed when I realize, no, he isn't on the couch. He has climbed into bed beside Aaron and is asleep in my spot. I'm about to go lay down in his bed to try to get some more sleep too, when he gets up, mad about Dad's snoring.

I scoop him up again and take him back to his room. I sway with him in the darkness of pre-dawn morning until he's fallen asleep in my arms, then I put him back in his bed. He immediately rolls over and grabs my arm like a teddy bear. Trapped, I stand hunched over his bed uncomfortably for five minutes or so until I can finally make my escape. He cries and rolls over onto his back.

Asleep again, I turn to go. He cries out and trashes around, angry he can't instantly fall back to sleep after each wake-up. I pause so he can see he isn't alone, and he falls asleep again. Desperate for sleep myself, I just grab one of his blankies and his duck pillow and catnap on the floor beside his bed.

I woke up 30 minutes later and he was still out, so I slipped out and went back to my own bed, which Aaron was now firmly planted in the middle of. I wiggled beside him until he moved over and then started to drift off... when suddenly Jude was standing beside me tugging the blankets off. So at 6, we began our day for real.

And this is the story about how I spent 2 hours trying to get someone else to sleep this morning, because man, I'm way better on not enough sleep than he is.

OT Assessment

Jude had an OT evaluation this morning and he did really well. Exceptional in some areas, even! Mind he did poorly in others, but the things he is good at he's impressively good at. He seemed to like the woman well enough too, which is nice because he wouldn't interact much with the last lady who came. He wanted to play with her toys, just not her.

Thirty-four Months!

First hair cut!

Music At The Park

Tonight we headed to the park for gourmet food trucks and live music. Jude was a little cranky because he was tired, but he was happy to play while we ate. Then he went on the swings with Aaron, and then climbed on the jungle gym with me. Of course then he fell off and ate a mouthful of sand. He wasn't hurt and didn't cry, but he certainly was not a fan of sand in his mouth. He kept gritting it between his teeth while making the most awful disapproving expression. I finally got him to drink something to help wash out his mouth and he was a lot happier after that. All tuckered out, he fell asleep on the ride home.

Fear And Pooping in Las Vegas

My life is like a scene from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas right now. I’m in the bathroom and hear Jude singing loudly. I come out and he is dancing around the table like it’s a bon fire, his pants and diaper are around his ankles. In the middle of a circle of strategically placed toys, on the carpet, is a pile of his poop. As I’m taking this all in, he trips on his pants and bumps his cheek on the table.

I scoop him up, amazed there is no poop anywhere else, and comfort him. He sobs the lyrics of Twinkle Twinkle into my neck. I ask him if 8 is great, he says it is, then starts singing that song while I pull his diaper and pants back up. He has peed on the back of his pants but not the front, somehow? I change his pants. I ask if he needs a hug. He pouts and reaches for me. We hug.

He whispers a name into my ear as a single perfect tear rolls down his cheek. Elmo. I get Elmo from his bed and hand it to him and we create a people/monster cuddle sandwich. Better now, I put him down to go clean up the poop that’s been waiting for me on the floor and as I kneel down he climbs onto my back like I’m a pony. ”Giddy-up,” he shouts. Who even taught him that word?

…toddlers are amazing.

Speech Therapy

Jude woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, super cranky. Had our first meeting/assessment with the Speech Therapist this afternoon. He'll be receiving their services weekly because he obviously qualifies. Unfortunately the women were quite in his face and loud so he had a melt down and I had to hold him the entire time. Then he fell asleep. But even while asleep every now and then I'd feel a tear fall from his shut eyes and land on my arm. Aw, poor Duck.

Thirty-three Months!