When I talk about Stevie’s sleep habits, I always knock on wood.  It seems that the very minute I tell anyone that he’s been sleeping through the night, he no longer does!  And yesterday when I mentioned it during his OT evaluation, I must have been knocking on fake wood or something.  Because sure enough, he was up this morning at 4am.

When he wakes up at all cockamamie hours of the night, Paul or I usually just go and sit in his room.  We don’t pick him up, or talk to him, or offer him a drink.  We just go and sit.  He knows we’re there, but we want him to understand that being up at this hour doesn’t bring him any special privileges whatsoever!  It’s not worth it Stevie!  Just go back to sleep!

So anyway, last night, when the shrieks of horror began, Paul went in first.  He sat with him for about 1/2 an hour until, dangit! He had to pee. Terrible timing bladder!  He sneaked out of the room, but the insomniac noticed right away and began screaming again.  So I took my turn in the rotation and went in to sit with him. Stevie was having none of this.  He clearly wanted his dada.  He kept pointing to the door and making all these suffering sounds.  His entire life was RUINED when I came in!  He shouted “BYE!” and shooed me away.  After trying to calm him with my sweetest, most nurturing voice, he wailed louder.  I rubbed his back and tried to help him get a grip.  To no avail.  That’s when the hissing began:  “That’s enough!”  The threatening whisper had zero effect.

So I broke my own rules, picked him up, and held him on my lap.  He pushed me away.  I tried to stroke his hair, he cried and cried and tried to get as far away from me as he could.  I brought doggy to cuddle with. Didn’t want it. I felt like I had tried everything, and I was on the verge of throwing him out the window, but instead I surprised myself and started to sing.

Twinkle, twinkle little star… How I wonder what you are…

He froze.  He sat up quietly and listened to my horrid, monotone, crackling, middle-of-the-night voice. Within seconds he was laying up against my chest and leaned his head back to give me a huge smile.  He said “HI.” and then snuggled back in with me and doggy.  We rocked back and forth and I sang the 2 verses that I know over and over.  Sometimes I’d switch it up to ABC’s or Baa Baa Black Sheep.  But as long as I kept the Twinkle, Twinkle tune, he was a sweet little baby piglet in my arms.

And I glanced up to heaven while the angels sprinkled me with fairy dust.  Mommy win!!

We were feeling all cozy comfy when, dangit! I had to pee.