Oh Adeline, what will we do with you?

Addie is such a mess these days. So stinkin' adorable. So stinkin' rotten. And too smart for her own britches. Today at church one of the things that the pastor said was that a kid can't even conceive of their parents doing anything wrong until they are around 10 years old. Oh really? Because Adeline tells me I'm doing things wrong all day long! "No, Mama!" is a phrase I've come to know very well. It usually pertains to my doing something or helping her do something that she wants to do all by herself. As in, "No, Mama! Addie do!" But it can also mean that I am playing with a toy wrong, I'm picking out an outfit that she does not want to wear, or that I'm just all together annoying her.



Who me? Sassy?



Her imagination has really taken off. I think that is partly what is causing our bedtime issues. She just can't seem to turn off her brain at night. Her most talkative time is most definitely bedtime. Somehow at nap time she is able to easily shut down and go to sleep. Usually in 15 minutes or so. But something about the moon over head sends her mind into overdrive. She gets wound up like no other and can't seem to stop talking.

Last night Robert did bedtime. Here is the scene at around 8:30. They had been in her room since about 7:40 and this had been going on for at least 30 minutes, ever since they finished reading books and laid down.

The scene finally played out with Robert getting frustrated and me taking over.  She went to sleep fairly quickly once I got in there, but her talking continued right up to the end.  As she was falling asleep she was saying, "Baby nurse... baby nurse.... baby nurse...."  Then as I transferred her to the crib she (still completely asleep) said, "New car seat...  new car seat... thank you Gee-gee."

It doesn't matter if Robert and I are in the room or not, if she is in her bed or in the car, if the bedtime routine is long or short... at night she just has a really, really hard time setting down. I don't think she's fallen asleep before 9:15 in weeks and more likely it is around 9:30. Even when we start bedtime at 7:00, she is still up that late. It is uncanny to me her ability to do this. I'm not sure I understand her reasoning behind it. Why would you not want to go to sleep?

Alas, she is a mystery to me. But we do love her. Even when being her parent is really frustrating. Which lately is every night between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30. :)