Gwen's last pacifier finally broke a while back (actually the last two broke on the same day... How's that for rotten luck). I was worried about her sleeping without it (rightly so), and told Stephanie maybe we should find her something "special" to bring to bed for nap. Stephanie mobilized and before I could think, had a collection of items for Gwen to choose from, including Stephanie's very own Buzzy Bee and dads pillows. Gwen went with the "new" soft blanket, but for good measure, Stephanie put all of it in her crib. Better safe than sorry, I suppose. It didn't work, and this is how she looked hours after nap time started...
Thus came a big bedtime and nap time routine shift. With the pacifier, Gwen just wanted to go to bed to have it, so reading or rocking or singing were all optional. Post pacifier, and we suddenly had to work for it a bit. That meant a much longer reading time, coming down to say goodnight to everyone after getting ready for bed, watching the digital picture frame for a while, and she wasn't all that happy to be put in her crib when the time came. Over an adjustment period, we have settled into an old familiar routine of telling her someone would check on her, and having to go in and out of her room several times. Fortunately, we have an eager volunteer. In fact, as soon as we have put Gwen in the crib, Stephanie is in there, reading her a book and singing songs, sometimes for ten or fifteen minutes. She has a child size rocking chair that she pulls up to the crib, so she reminds me of the "old lady whispering hush" from Goodnight Moon. If Stephanie is outside or doing something else as Gwen's bedtime approaches, she always tells me to let her know if Gwen asks for her and she will be right up. Inevitably, Gwen asks for her, and she rushes up.
And then there is the morning. Gwen takes sleeping in far more seriously than Stephanie ever did, so I have rarely had a 6 am wake up with her, but she still sometimes beats us up. Good news for us though, as little miss up at the crack of dawn (who will totally hang out in her room looking at books until one of us is up, which I am eternally grateful for) is happy to rush in to Gwen's room to either entertain her in the crib, or, when Gwen will allow it, drag her out of the crib to play. Gwen prefers to waIt for one of us to get her, but I heard Stephanie this morning telling her that there were more toys if she got out of the crib, and that seemed to swing the pendulum in favor of being drug out of bed by sister. I figured out later that,in order to get her out of bed, Stephanie has to put a step stool in the crib, get Gwen to stand up on it, and then help her out. According to Stephanie, she has only fallen in the process once. And maybe that is why Gwen prefers to wait for the adults.
The other morning, I was mostly awake when they were up, as I often am, and Stephanie snuck into our room. She realized I was awake on her way out, informed me that Gwen was up, she had it under control and just needed to come into our room to get Gwen some bug bite cream. And that was fine with me, because I knew that Stephanie really did have it under control. Of course, Kevin and I got out of bed a few minutes later, but it is always nice to have a slower wake up and it is so nice to hear them playing in Gwen's room every morning, which is always when they are at their best.
Sometimes Stephanie takes things a bit too far. For instance, Gwen is totally happy to have Stephanie pick out her clothes (usually to "match" her own outfit dujour but sometimes you need to squint to figure out what the outfits have in common, as Stephanie is more imaginative about what matches than maybe everyone else in the world), but is less thrilled when Stephanie actually tries to dress her. Maybe it is the military approach Stephanie takes, yelling commands like "hands up to the sky!"? Either way, Gwen, again, would prefer the adults to help.
The two of them together isn't always easy. When Gwen goes to nap, there is nearly an audible sigh from the bones of the house as Stephanie and I make our way downstairs. And it is peaceful for both of us for a few hours. But then Gwen stirs, and as I am trying to gather my wits to go retrieve her, Stephanie is on top of me asking if she can go entertain Gwen until I get upstairs. Sure, honey. Go for it.
I love this post and hopefully you won't have to hang it over their heads when they're teenagers because they suddenly don't like each other!!!
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