1. Calvin doesn't sleep much during the day. I'm not sure about his night-time sleeping - but his naps were scarce. Getting him to nap took some concentrated effort. Then when he did fall to sleep you didn't dare put him down or shift him in any way. That would instantly cause him to open those pretty blue eyes and refuse to sleep any longer.
2. Usually when Doug and I travel to Utah we bring our own blow up air mattress and we have sweet dreams while commandeering the Kevan's living room floor. But having traveled to Utah by airplane didn't afford me that opportunity. So I commandeered their couch for my place of repose. And for the most part I slept very well.
3. I think Rob and Lindsey were on sleep deprivation mode during most of my visit there. They welcomed little Zac into their home and he immediately altered their sleep patterns. I heard him once in a while but he didn't wail or scream enough to make me lose my beauty sleep (thank goodness because I need all that I can get). But in the morning when it was time to get up I could see the evidence of night awakeness. Usually it was the 4 or 5 diapers sitting in the hall that had been filled up during the night that gave it away. But despite their lack of sleep they managed to keep it all together.
4. Sadie and sleep. I could write a book. She is a character. She has a toddler bed that she can get in and out of. She has that thing packed as full as she can with her things. She can't sleep unless every one of her things are present and accounted for. Sometimes she takes inventory after she is put to bed and is missing something she calls for help with getting it just right - one way to make adult contact after bedtime. A partial list of her things: several dolls, various blankies, bucket of specific books. an empty bowl (because she had the throw-ups once and now can't sleep without the bowl), her "guys" (small plastic people), a sippy cup of water, I know there was so much more but now I can't recall any more.
Anyway, I will detail specific incidents below:
A. When I got there they had a knob cover on the inside of her door so she couldn't come out on her own. Then if she needed some attention she would knock on the door and they would come answer it. But her knock was so soft. When they left to the hospital I was in charge and didn't know if I could hear that tiny soft knock so I left the door cracked. She did pretty good that night. She came out a few times but I used the Nanny method and before long she stayed in bed.
B. When her parents came back there was no turning back to shutting the door - SORRY. So they had to work through her new freedom. She would get up and play in the bedroom. She kept coming to the door. Sometimes she would just stand there and look through the crack. But back and forth it went. Patience was needed. Lindsey and Rob did very well with it all. But sometimes this went on for hours - literally. She would go to bed at 7 and by 9 she would still be roaming in her room and at the door. Sometimes she would get into the dresser drawers and inventory her bibs. Sometimes she would take off her own pull-ups and put new ones on. I mean she was busy in there. The main thing was they needed her to stay in bed. So when they had pretty much run out of patience and I was just trying not to laugh about the situation we came up with a plan. Put her to bed with the warning that, "if you get up we are going to have to take something from your bed." They made it clear. It took her about 3 seconds to follow them to the door. So Lindsey put her back to bed and took a pair of doll shorts that were not on the doll but just laying in the bed. Screams followed. How could she sleep without those? Sadie's life had been shattered! She ran to the door following Lindsey out - screaming all the while. "Oh, oh. Now I have to take something else because you didn't stay in bed. Darn." She went back and found something else like a spoon and took it. She screamed and cried louder and harder but she stayed in bed. And before too long the crying stopped and she was asleep. Anway, this method seemed to work pretty well. It was pretty fun watching it all take place. Now I am laughing about the whole thing.
Sadie is pretty smart - so Lindsey and Rob have to be smart too and just stay one or two steps ahead of her. If they don't, Sadie will be running the house and pretty soon - she'll be taking over the world!
Pinky: "Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?"The Brain: "The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!"
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