Sensing Change

I realize that change is inevitable, especially when dealing with a fast growing toddler. Some of the changes we have been experiencing with Kaylee have been different than i had expected. Kaylee has recently started having trouble going to bed at night. When I say "trouble" I mean that she acts completely normal up until we put her in the crib and leave the room; she BURSTS out into a horrific sounding cry. She is fine up until that moment, she will even tell you she is tired and wants to go to bed!

The first night it happened I was completely caught off guard, I wondered if she might be sick or not feeling well. After about an hour of trying to get her to go down, I decided to let her get out of bed. She kept saying she was hungry, so I fed her more dinner. She ended up eating an entire plate of food, on top of the food she had just eaten for dinner. So we played for a little while and when I saw that she could barely keep her eyes open, it was time to go to bed. And this time she went down without a fuss, like she usually does. This little event got me thinking what could be the problem, but since it was a one-time occurrence i didn't think too much about it.

Then a few nights later the exact same thing happened. Except this time she wasn't hungry, she wouldn't eat anything. I was baffled! Why has she done this now twice in less than a week? And on top of it she had spent the night with her Aunt Ceire and had no problems going to bed over there.

Then it happened a 3rd time. By this point i figured that this obviously has something to do with me (and possibly Marcus). I really do think that she is sensing some changes in the house, and possibly herself too, and that is the reason for this unexpected onset of separation anxiety when it comes to sleeping. The 3rd time this happened I decided to deal with it a different way than usual, I surely don't want her in the habit of thinking she can cry and get to stay up late........oh the problems that will cause after I have the baby. I decided to just rub her back, like i used to do when she was little, then slowly stop rubbing, and just stand by her crib. If she lifts her head off the bed i tell her to lay back down. This process only took about 15 minutes to work before she was completely past out and I was able to leave the room. But then I think to myself, "great, now I have to be in there for her to fall asleep, that doesn't seem feasible when I have another child."

So last night she stayed at my moms house and went down fine over there. This is the second time she has slept there since we have been having these problems at home. Both times at moms house she went down fine, NO crying or waking up. And like I said before she went down fine at Aunt Ceire's as well.

And then tonight......she does it for me AGAIN! She goes into the bed without a fuss and the second I leave the room, she crys as if someone has chopped off her arm. I decided to use the same tactic as last time, actually she asked for it this time. Usually she says, "up, ups, mommy" and wants me to pick her up, but this time she said "back, mommy," and laid down for me to rub her back. So I did, and it worked again. It is like she just needs a little extra attention and knows that that attention is about to be divided between her and the baby.

I thought these sort of changes would come AFTER the baby was born, not before! But then again there are other changes that are going on with herself that could be the reason for the problem as well. She has all of a sudden taken an interest in her vocabulary, up until this point she has had little interest. She actually attempts to say words now instead of just saying "ga-ga" and laughing. She learns around 2-6 new words everyday! I remember from my college child development classes (and reading online) that when children learn to talk there minds don't necessarily stop at bedtime. So I am thinking that that could be another factor.

Anyone have any ideas or insight in this matter? Suggestions or comments are very much welcomed! I would like to have this sorted out before the sleep deprivation sets in from the new baby. Crista.....that means you too! Call me with your advice and suggestions.....PLEASE!