Kung Fu Sleep Fighter

Ed Jr. has a love hate relationship with sleep - and it is driving his mom CRAZY! It is not like he doesn't get enough sleep, or sleeps too much, it is how hard he fights it.

Naps. He needs at least three a day, or so the experts tell us so. Here is the drill, tired and crying I get him to close his eyes, hang out with him until he is limp and then put him down. Instantly awake, sometimes mad, sometimes happy, but always awake. I try to get him back down to sleep and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. He will take a solid 2-3 hour nap if I hold him the entire time. So there is that. If he does 45 minutes unheld, I throw a parade. No, cars don't always work, they work SOMETIMES. No, walks don't always work, they work just until I park his stroller in the house and run to the bathroom.

I read books, I ask for advice, I am becoming obsessed with sleep, and those are just his naps.

I know, from personal trial and errors (of which there are many) that a well napped kid is easier to get to sleep than a tired one. Maybe this explains my obsession with the elusive power nap. We have been working toward a 8:00 PM bedtime. Most of this last week, he will happily oblige, as long as I (not we) hold him until 10 PM and then place ever so gently in his co-sleeper, genuflect 100 times, dance around in a circle and calculate Pi in my head.

As you may notice, I am blogging around midnight. What you don't know is that I am holding the king of kung fu sleep fighting in my lap while I type. His kung fu moves are powerful, kicks, punches, scratches and an occasional giggle, he is fighting off his sworn enemy, sleep. He did fall fast asleep at 8, but since we were at a house party, as we put him in his car seat to bring him home, he woke up and now, my friends, the real party can begin. Kung Fu Party. I know that in the morning my chest and his face will bear the battle scars of fighting off sleep, his nails are sharp, because I have to cut them while he sleeps. . .another story for another time.

So here we sit, me dreaming of sleep, him kung fooing it away. I know that I can't complain too much, I mean two weeks ago, he slept 7 hours in a row. My head almost exploded with joy. I called, texted and e-mailed all of my close friends, relatives and state and local representatives I was so excited. He has been pulling 6-7 hour stretches ever since. Yes, I am one of the lucky ones.

So, if you see me and ask me how I am doing and I babble on about naps, minutes, hours or stretches of sleep, just smile and tell me that we are doing well, that I am one of the lucky ones and that soon, we will worry about solid foods, grades, or girls.