How to ‘put’ a child to bed

Popcorn sleeps with us on the “Big Bed”.

When its time for bed, I take him in and we cuddle on the bed until he falls asleep. This can take anything from just a few minutes – he falls asleep while nursing; to an hour or more – we goof off or he is just not sleepy enough.

Well, tonight was one of those last ones. It was OH SO FUN!

These days our routine goes something like this – he kisses everyone good night and we enter the bedroom. He then insists on switching on the monitor (so later I can hear him when he wakes up), then we play this game of him in my arms and trying to turn off the lights, but I move him away right before he reaches the switch. He laughs like nuts at that one. After its dark, we go to the bed and I put him in, after which he starts to make excited noises “Ah, ah, ah!” and gets into position, ready to take a feed. I lay down, he latches on and settles. I pull his little blanket over him and snuggle him in. He searches for the ties on my pants to pull on for some reason.

Then, tonight, he started to make low, grunting noise. I replied with the same. We play this game from time to time, so its nothing new. He grunts, I grunt. He squeals, I do the same and all without him letting go of my breast or me stopping smelling his fine little hair and smiling.

After a bit I saw he is not tired yet and unlatched him. Then he turned over and grabbed my hand and started to play with it. Pointed at the window whenever he heard a car/truck/train and we chatted about it. I asked him where his various body parts are and he dutifully showed me. He was pointing at my nose and hair, so I answered as asked. He started to play with my hair and cuddled into me. I started noisily to smell under his chin and he laughed and wanted more. So we spent some time tickling and laughing. Then he was signing animals and we made some grunts, moos and whatnots. At one point I thought he was signing bunny, but he kept on doing it, until I realized that he was signing ‘water’. In the dark the two look pretty similar. Water? He has never asked for this before. Water? Aaa! Water? Aaaah! I really didnt feel like taking him out into the house and getting him too excited, so I thought its worth trying to keep him in the bed.

“Ok, mama will go get water. Wait here” I said while going up and leaving the room “Wait here”.

And I go and fill a water bottle and walk back fully expecting him to be walking back in the hallway, but not. I get in the bedroom and hear him “A! A! A!”, sitting up in the bed, waiting for me. I could have eaten him right there and then, cute in his pink jammy. Instead I offered my bounty and he had a few sips and pointed to where the bottle should go. I put it there.

Then we lay down again. In the dark with just a bit of light from the monitor’s indicator.

He wants to nurse, so we are back in our position. He is in a silly mood and lets go of my breast  just enough to utter:

“Goidigoo”

I burst out laughing and reply

“Goidigoo”

He pauses, then repeats slurred by his full mouth:

“Goidigoo” – and latches back straight away.

And I can feel the smile on his little face.

I repeat and fill the room and the darkness with a louder laugh. And we do this for awhile, being way too loud for any self respecting going to sleep team, but who cares.

And it went on. He was finished with his second go for milk and then chattered about. At some point was having fun plopping his head on the bed and giggling. He bonked my nose and then was kissing me. Then looked for my belly button and blew strawberries on my now cold tummy. He definitely likes to make people laugh, that little one.

And at some point I said its time to sleep. He came in closer and laid on his front. Then turned to me. Then after a few minutes turned to his back, plopped his little foot on my leg and fell asleep. Holding the tie of my pants.

Even though, I admit, some nights I wish he would just go down quickly, so I can do the things I have in my head. Other important things, you see. There are those nights. But overall I love our moments in the dark bedroom, just the  two of us, even when they go on for awhile on those few magical nights when we goof off or he is just not sleepy enough.