Is there anything sweeter than a sleeping child?
Well, sleep has certainly been one of the most obviously difficult for Joshua Gebeyehu since he has been on my hip. It has gotten much easier but is still not what I would consider "normal" in our house for a 2 year old.
Like a typical 2 year old, Joshua does not enjoy going to sleep. He has much better ways to spend his time than sleeping! However I am very thankful to say that going to sleep is no longer traumatic. He is still needing me - and only me - to rock him to sleep! He is VERY into routine, read that skip a part and expect a melt down, so no matter the time we follow this routine exactly.
We start talking about naptime at lunch. When Joshua is done eating we tell everyone in the house "mah tah mah tah", go to his room, read the book of his choice, say prayers, snuggle with mama and his blanket on the rocking chair, and rock until he is asleep. Naptime rocking is usually brief - like 20 min. He NOW wakes from his nap calling confidently to me. We cuddle and rock a few minutes and he is ready to play! (All of the above is "normal" in our home but the rocking to sleep! Huge improvement to the terrified tears at first!)
Bedtime... routine is KEY! (Our social worker says she thinks routine is so very important to newly adopted kids because it is something they feel control of and they have had so little control over their lives.) Joshua starts worrying about bedtime at supper. He asks "no mah tah mah tah?" before we even sit down to eat! So, we make sure to do something FUN after supper. Playing outside is one of his favorites. We come in at 7:3oish for a bath. Once in the bath Joshua LOVES it, but it takes a little convincing to get him there because bath means bed is coming! After bath, he gets lotion, a pull-up, pajamas, warm milk in a coffee cup =) and a snack. He eats his snack very, very slowly! Then we tell everyone "mah tah mah tah", read books, say prayers, and settle in for the cuddle! Bedtime cuddles have gotten shorter, Joshua is usually asleep by 9:00 these days.
Joshua wakes up about 4AM (on a good night), calls for me, and then gets to come to our bed until morning. In our bed, he is still certainly a snuggler - but he no longer has me in a "choke-hold!" At first he kept himself totally wrapped around me. Now he just likes to be near me.
I immediately know when Joshua is struggling because sleep is totally affected.
While I look forward to no longer sharing our bed (something we have never done before), it is just not time yet. I also look forward to snuggling for a few minutes and then putting Joshua in his crib to fall asleep on his own. I have never routinely rocked a child over 4 mo. old to sleep. But I am really, really thankful for the progress we have made. Joshua is become so much more comfortable, capable, and confident.
One funny note... Joshua has slept through the night one time, but just like when our infants first slept through the night - Momma was up checking to make sure he was OK.
These pictures crack me up because for the most part Joshua HATES to be messy!
Joshua definitely has a 2 year old appetite. He is totally finicky and what he eats one day, he will not eat another day. He is most certainly the pickiest eater in our home, but it no longer concerns me. He is no happier eating Ethiopian food than American, so he is stuck with whatever Momma cooks up.
He always likes:
chicken nuggets and fries
most any meat - taco meat, bbq's, meatloaf
corndogs
milk
granola bars
anything breaded and fried
He usually likes:
He sometimes likes:
He never likes:
cold stuff - yogurt, Popsicles, ice cream
smooth or mushy textures
fruit - he likes juice now, so maybe someday
veggies
cheese
eggs
rice
pancakes
anything soft or mushy is usually rejected
sauces - ketchup, bbq, maple syrup
So, I am no longer worrying about making food to please Joshua. He IS unpredictable (Sat. he ate several pieces of raw onion) and picky, but he is also very well mannered and tries most everything with a "no thank you" response to those items he is not crazy about. At our house you either eat what Momma cooks with a "thank you" or you wait for the next meal... and Joshua is figuring this out!
Funny food note - One day we were talking about what to have for lunch and Joshua shouted "McDonald's!" Man do kids learn fast! He has only eaten McDonald's two times and he is hooked! His sibling laughed so hard! They also cheered him on as they LOVE McDonald's as well. Only Momma does not share that love!
Is there anything sweeter than a sleeping child?
