More Sleeping

Here I am talking about Leah and sleeping again. I wonder how many posts in a row I could do? ;)

So last night she said she wanted to sleep in her room and then a little while later changed her mind but I was on the phone so I got a minute before I had to answer her.

As much as we all know I wanted her to sleep with me (and oh I did!), I decided I wanted to giver her some kind of incentive to choose her room. So I told her if she sleep in her room we'd still do books & songs (part of her nightly routine) but if she slept in my room - which she was more than welcome to do - we were only doing prayers and then going to sleep. She thinks for a minute and then chooses her room.

So we read the books, say her prayer, turn out the lights, sing her songs and right as I finish the last song she sits up and says "Let's go to your bed now!"

Um.

I think not.

HELLO? Did she just try to work me over?? Sheesh!

It was really hard for me to say no to that. I just told her she'd already made her choice & since we did books/songs she needed to go to sleep in her bed. I suddenly wished I hadn't started this path! But she didn't fight me. She went to sleep fairly quickly.

She did come into my bed in the middle of the night. I have no idea what time. I went to bed a little after midnight and I was sound asleep when she woke up. I barely woke up and she said "I want to stay here." and I let her curl in my arm and then I told her to go back to sleep. I woke up this morning with her against my back and it made me grin! :)

Oh help me!

Background - two weeks ago I decided to have Leah start taking her naps in her bedroom. I figured she wasn't ever going to make the choice to sleep in her own bed if she hadn't ever tried it and since she'll nap anywhere that seemed like a good place to start. She didn't resist at all except once about 10 days in but she was an hour late for that nap and really was just resisting napping at all!

Conversation between Drew & Leah (as related by Drew):

L: Monsters aren't real, are they?

D: No, there's no such thing as monsters.

L: No such thing as monsters.

.... quiet

L: Am I safe in my room?

D: Whenever Mommy or Daddy are home you are safe!

(then repeat the same question in various forms a few times)

D: Are you gonna sleep in your room?

L: Yes, I'm gonna sleep in my own room by mySELF. (she always emphasizes self like that lol)

And guess what? She's in her bed. I don't know what to do with myself. I want to lay down and weep. I'm holding it together until I know she's asleep. I forgot to have her pee before bed and she came out once to say she has to go potty. I think she has a sippy cup under the covers. That always keeps her awake longer but she takes a drink every time she starts to fall asleep. If those goes on too long I'll go take it away.

Anyway.

In all my cosleeping research I've always hoped to let her make this decision herself, why is it so painful that she's doing it? Does she HAVE to act so grownup about it? Is it wrong that I'm hoping she'll change her mind tomorrow and go back & forth for awhile???