Week Five: It happened. A peaceful bedtime.

I'm not sure whether I can breath yet!

So, here's what happened. We had dinner (Fi just picking at dinner...confirmed with daycare family that she often eats dinner there, and as we pay more attention to her nighttime eating habits, it's becoming obvious that she doesn't need to eat much many nights after daycare), then I invited Fiora to play chase. Well, THAT was too exciting to pass up! So we played chase for a few minutes until she got tired/distracted, then I got her PJ's and nighttime diaper out.

Tick off "exercise"

I helped her off with her clothes. Then I left to put away the dirty clothes as Fiora ran off to "go potty." When I came back, she had her diaper and was lying down in an attempt to put it on! Go, girl! I helped her, then PJ's (some fussing, but I kept inviting her to put it on herself - that does still help some). As does the promise of brushing teeth once PJ's are on! We raced to the bathroom, I told her she could get her own spit rag (where she practices rinsing her mouth and spitting without having to reach the sink or dribbling all over her PJ's). She ignored that for several minutes, then asked if she could get her rag! Hurrah again! After we were done, she was ready to run out and get a book...but I reminded her we had to clean the bathroom first (an idea only introduced yesterday, so reminders are okay). So she grabbed her cup and put it on the counter, took her toothbrush and put it up, and I hung up the "spit rag." Wow, three firsts in one 15 minute piece of time.

Then off to pick out books. I told her she could pick out two and I'd pick out one, 'cause I'd love to read to her. And I told her we'd take the books to her bedroom to read. That made her stop and think, but I talked about sitting on the bed, and I think she liked that. She tried to divert to mama's bed, was getting upset, but I offered to pick her up so she could turn on her bedroom light - big carrot! Then when I put her down, a little upset again, but I fluffed up a pillow on her toddler bed and made myself comfortable, and it was too much to resist! She came and joined me. We read simultaneously (I swear, she doesn't like to read TO us, but to herself - are we THAT judgmental?!?!), with her occasionally listening in to the good bits in my book. :) I told her the last read-through before bed, and then when that was done I told her it was time for bed, "which bed do you want?" And she picked her crib, with little fuss about the transition - oh, sigh of relief! Then I picked her up to go say goodnight to baba and the dogs. When we came back to the room, SHE turned the light off. And didn't want any songs, so straight into bed she went (with a book clutched in her hand still).

Tick off "more structure on how many books" and "reading in the bedroom"

There was one callback when her binkey fell on the floor, but she's asleep now.

SUCCESS!! For the first time ever. She was always a Cry It Out baby. This was so nice to be around.... And the secrets? Minimized transition to bedroom, gave her more power-choices directly about bedtime (which bed? turn on/off lights?). Thanks, PoT roadmap and Kurcinka!