... I got to sleep a bit with Ella in her big-girl bed.
Ella has periodically asked me to do this since we got her big-girl bed a few weeks ago, one of the steps in our 5-step process for making Ella's bedtime pleasant... heck, we would have taken tolerable. I hadn't yet obliged her request for two reasons: a) I wanted to see some improvement out of her before doing so and b) I actually have things to do after the Leatherkids go to bed.
The truth is, I've been clamoring to lie next to her in her bed at bedtime. An opportunity to cuddle with a relaxed Leatherkid in silence is rare, and I cherish those moments. They remind me of the also rare moments where a very young Cal fell asleep on my chest as I lay on the couch or a very young Ella fell asleep on my shoulder as we rocked in the glider after I fed her.
Plus, Ella's bed is pretty darn comfy.
We've had some good successes with the new routine (all five steps taken and in action) lately; so during bedtime on Tuesday, I told Ella that if "we" (yes, I do believe that Dan and I are in it with her) had a good bedtime and a good day, I'd go to sleep with her in her bed the following (Wednesday) night.
We had a good bedtime and a good day, so I fulfilled my promise. Dan and I read books to Ella first and then to a patient Cal (step 4 in the new bedtime process); and then I returned to Ella's room where she was "reading" a book (How Dinosaurs Go to Bed, step 5 in the new bedtime process) while she patiently waited for my arrival.
I climbed in on the wall side of her bed (this has become my spot per her directions during pre-bed book-reading time) and lay next to her. We didn't say much. At first I closed my eyes, my attempt to influence her to do the same. But I quickly became curious to know what she was doing as I did that, so I opened my eyes to find her "reading" that same book. I watched her eyes dart back and forth over the pictures. Occasionally, she looked at me and grinned but quickly returned to the book. I closed my eyes again.
This went on for several minutes. She eventually put the book down and rolled on her side so she could put her arms around me. She then insisted I get under the covers with her; and after I did that, I found myself lying on her arm and shoulder, you know, like I might do with Dan... she was holding me. This didn't last long, and she eventually pulled her arm out and lay on her back. I did the same.
And then we fell both asleep.
For whatever reason, I woke up an hour later and crawled out of her bed. She didn't budge, and she didn't ask me this morning why I wasn't there when she woke up. I don't know if she forgot that I had lain with her; but I didn't forget... it was too much of a good thing to forget.
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