Bedtime is now officially a "man's job"

Last weekend, while on my trip to MN for Andy's wedding, I was so preoccupied with the fact I was traveling solo partly to wean Calvin, that I could hardly think of any appropriate conversation topics (that didn't revolve around boobs).

I couldn't help but wonder whether we would be successful. I mean, I'm happy to say that we've breastfed for 2 years (that's like, the gold standard according to La Leche League) and we've been tapering it off for the past 6 months. I was just worried that he would never be able to fall asleep.

Some people can get their kids to fall asleep at the drop of a hat - I never have been able to.

Would I cave in to him when the going gets rough? (Something told me that my husband and mother-in-law will frown upon that to say the least)

The first night home at bedtime I just went into my room and locked the door. While I took a shower and read I could hear all kinds of noises (screams, thumps, bumps, crashes and little fists pounding on my bedroom door) that I chose not to investigate.

Finally, the noises died down and ended completely. I tiptoed out of bed and unlocked the door so that Quinn (and only Quinn) could enter.

He did a few minutes later, looking a little ragged (you know, like I usually look like at bedtime). "Good job, Quinn," I said and we went to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night Calvin came in, and Quinn got him back to sleep without much fuss. Hallelujah!

The next night was the same thing, but when Calvin came in in the middle of the night Quinn was to tired and grumpy to deal with it. So I put on a turtle neck and zipped up a hoodie and went in. I couldn't have evasion be my only weapon in this battle of wills, we would have to go head to head.

I put him back to bed and he was screaming and flailing around because I wasn't giving him boobah. I sang to him and turned on the sleep sheep and he eventually climbed on top of my chest and fell asleep draped over me like that, like he used to when we had kangaroo care (when I tucked him into my bathrobe as a newborn and he fell asleep). The miracle was that I was able to roll him off and go back to bed.

The best thing was last night he fell asleep on the couch and I brought him up to bed without him waking up and he slept all night and didn't wake up until 7:30. I feel so well rested!

When he woke up, he asked me for a glass of orange juice and ate his rice krispies. I think this is going to work out!