Owl Jammas

You'd think by two Eloise would have figured bedtime out by now. For most toddlers I think the process has become quite simple: you get into bed after a full day of fun, close your eyes and wake up in the morning rested and ready for new adventures. Apparently she hasn't quite gotten the memo.

We've struggled with sleep basically since Eloise was born. For a good six or nine months she was sleeping through the night uninterrupted, but this has been replaced with a hellish bedtime rigamarole (my least favourite part of the day) and a nightly wake up between midnight and three. When Eloise wakes up she sometimes cries, but usually she just gets out of bed on her own, opens her door, pads down the hall to our room and wakes me up to lift her into bed with us. A better parent would just walk her back to her room but let me tell you, once you've spent an hour or more of your very minimal evening free time putting your child to bed, another hour spent doing it all over again in the middle of the night is just not an option.

At least now when Eloise sleeps with us she actually sleeps. I think she heard the message loud and clear that it is not acceptable to kick Daddy in the face while suffocating Mommy but she does still insist on sharing my pillow. This ultimately results in me hugging the edge of my own bed while Eloise sleeps starfish and Chris enjoys the other two thirds. I am seriously considering a King.

And that bedtime rigamarole I mentioned? It goes a little something like this:

"Milky?" Eloise laughs hysterically as we hand over her bottle (yes, it's still a bottle) of milk.
"Read Grumpy Bird?" We read Grumpy Bird.
"Pee pee on the potty?" I take Eloise into the bathroom and take off her pajamas and diaper, at which time she decides she no longer needs to go. I have a hard time ignoring a plea to pee while we're trying so hard to potty train, even though I know it's likely a trap.
"More milky!" Because of course the first bottle has been drained. We give in praying that she will fall asleep with another half-bottle of milk. 
"Owl jammas on?" I say no, she is already wearing pajamas, nice striped ones.
"OWL JAMMAS! No striped jammas!" This is ridiculous.
"Mama's bed!" Not happening, Eloise, you're sleeping in your bed.
"OWL JAMMAS!" Screw it, where are they?
"I'm just crying now." She proceeds to practice her best pouty face as I locate the owl pajamas.
"Oh hi owl jammas... "
"Mama's bed? Okay." At this point, I'll try anything
"I have a runny nose, tissue? I hold it?" I grab a tissue and we transfer her Piggy, Penguin, Cozy and her pillow to our bed.
"Mama's nighty night? Put it on?" She wants to wear my nightie but agrees to just holding it.
"Eloise's bed now." AND back to her room.
"Aw, it's so tiny. Hi flower pillow. Dada snuggle?" Chris' turn.
A final plea for Eloise to lie down followed by a few more minutes of fussing with her Piggy, Penguin and Cozy and she finally settles.
"Okay, Dada, I so tired." That is an understatement, kid.

Time elapsed: 50 minutes