Not Me! Monday

I did not really think I had a Not Me post this week, but, turns out I have a very good one. When Abby was born over 7 years ago I did everything "buy the book" as they say. She NEVER slept in the bed with me, ever. She slept swaddled in her bassinet by my bed for the first few months, then we moved her to her crib, let her learn to "cry it out" and never looked back. She transitioned to her toddler bed and then her twin bed by the time she was two. We never had any sleep issues with her, at all. She was off the bottle and pacifier by 9 months old and we lived peacefully.

Fast forward four years and we had Molly. My big blue eyed angel. She nursed like a champ and I learned the beauty of letting her lie beside me to nurse therefore I was able to sleep more and she nursed longer than Abby did. I transitioned her to her crib and she did fine. Until...she was 8 months old and I was pregnant, again. Ok, so all went well with Zach, my third, until it was time to transition him to the crib which meant at 23 months transitioning Molly from her crib to a twin bed, skipping the toddler bed stage, as Zach was now 6 months old and needed to be in the crib.
This was challenging. Zach did fine. Molly did not. I am a sucker for my big, blue eyed angel, too. She has me wrapped around her finger. She is now a little over 3 years old and I have to convince her that her bed with the new Princess sheets is much more enticing than my bed. I have enjoyed cuddling my little Molly all this time. She was there to cuddle with as I struggled with my Dad's death. She's been there to cuddle with me as we adjust to not having Ed in the house anymore, but I know it is time. Ok, it is past time. 

I never intended to let things go this long. But she really has been a comfort to me. I never thought I would be one of those parents who let their kids climb in bed for nights on end, oh no, Not ME! After years of telling my loving sister in law she really needed to get her child out of her bed I am sure it has been sweet poetic justice for her to see me in this predicament! And I totally don't blame her! I would enjoy laughing at me, too! Funny how it is so easy to try to "help" someone else until you are in the situation (and if you are reading this, Deanna, I love you, Sis!!)
So two nights ago I rocked Molly to sleep (yes, I also am trapped into the rocking her each night, another thing I swore I would never do, oh no, NOT ME!) and put her in her bed. She lasted until about 2 am. I caved and cuddled. Strike one for me. But I did see it as a partial victory!  Last night I put her in her bed and she only stayed asleep a little while, but she did stay in her bed watching TV (oh no, I would not let her watch tv all hours of the night, oh no, NOT ME!) Mind you I had to walk her back to bed no less than a bazillion times, and sit with her as she finally fell asleep, but I stuck to my guns and she did at least begin the night in her bed. I think she came into mine around 3am. Hey, a full hour later than the night before. We are on the right track.

Now, poor Molly, she is learning to sleep in her own bed and learning to potty all at the same time but is so excited about being a "big girl". This morning she sat on the potty and pee peed in it for the very first time. I embarrassed to say Abby was potty trained completely in one day at the age of 32 months and yet, here I am struggling with Molly.  In all honestly I really have not pushed her, nor taken the time to truly work with her as I should. We are making up for lost time now, however. So there is a lot going on in her little life these days. She really seems to be handling it quite well.  As you all know  positive encouragement goes a long way.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.