Wherein Zander takes control of his bedtime

(Composed Friday morning . . . there were some connectivity issues.)

Zander got his hair cut a few weeks ago - I owe you all a photo of that at least. But I don't have the camera or the baby on hand at this time so you will have a wait a little bit longer. Trust me, he's still cute - a little more mundane and boy-like and older-looking - but Zander nonetheless.

We've all been swept with a cold - first Matt, who actually took sick days, it was that bad - then Zander, who is still sick and I am starting to wonder if he might need antibiotics because the virus may have turned to infection - and now me, who isn't doing too bad after one day of virus-influenced exhaustion because I am hopped up on echinacea, an immune-boosting herb. FYI - echinacea is a major active ingredient in Airborn. I don't bother with Vitamin C - I get much faster and stronger effects from echinacea - my next line of defense is garlic pills (natural antibiotic). I also take a double dose of my multivitamin since I only take one a day and not three anyway. Cut out all dairy and drink lots of tea and water. Now you can be as healthy as I am.

On to the toddler news . . .

Zander, adept at climbing in and out of his crib as well as opening his bedroom door, has made bedtime very difficult. We're lucky that we've got a leg up already because we have a solid bedtime routine and he doesn't fight it (this is where I cannot be convinced that letting your child cry it out for a few nights at age 7 months has done anything to harm his trust or our relationship) - in fact Zander has, a few times, gone up the stairs and climbed into his own bed when he wanted to go to sleep.

Last night I came home from working at the community garden. Zander has just been put to bed (#1) but was still awake and Matt advised that I should go visit because Zander wanted a hug (this is one of his latest control games). Lucky for Zander, I am helplessly in love with him so I went upstairs and tried to hold him in the glider. He was wiggly so I just put him back in bed (#2) and then went to take a shower. No surprise that Zander spent most of my shower with the curtain half open, talking to me. I even tried getting spray on his face so he would run away like the cats do - which sounds mean, I know, but trust me, it didn't work.

After the shower, I put him back in bed (#3) and went downstairs, shutting the gate behind me. Zander was up and calling for us at the top of the stairs within minutes. We told him to go back to bed and then ignored him, hoping he would get bored and tired and just go to sleep. He ignored us and played. At some point Matt went upstairs to change into pyjamas. Put Zander back in bed (#4). But he left the gate open on his way back down and Zander found the security breach within minutes and came downstairs. Matt put him back in bed (#5). It is now aproximately 10pm and it's been 2 hrs since Zander was first put to bed. Again, he comes to the top of the stairs, we ignore him, etc.

We retired for the evening around 1115 pm and found Zander, like Goldilocks in Papa Bear's bed, curled up in a ball on our bed, right in the breath of the AC unit (and it wasn't hot last night so I wondered about that choice), with the bedroom light left on from when Matt changed his clothes an hour earlier. Zander hardly sighed as I scooped him up and put him in his own bed (#6).

We're discussing putting in the toddler bed this weekend. First, for safety - no more climbing in and out of a crib, even with the rail down. Second - maybe, just maybe, the novelty of his own big boy bed will keep him in it more than not.

I know I'm fooling myself.