little boys and a momma's heart

I don't know how he figured it out..but James has figured out how to get out of bed at night. Not on his own, but with my help!

He's so smart. It started about a week and a half ago. He started crying super loud. I always let him cry a little bit to see if he'll go back to sleep on his own. Well he cried past my "time limit" and I went in there and rocked him and put him back to bed. I thought he must have had a bad dream because after I rocked him and put him in his crib he fell back asleep on his own no problem. Well the the next night he starts crying again so I go in and try to rock him and he won't stop. He's screaming and arching his back and then looks at me and does the sign for "eat." I'm like.."okay lets go eat." It makes sense to me that he must be hungry because he's never acted like this before.

So he eats a whole banana, I rock him for a couple minutes and put him in his crib and he quietly goes back to sleep on his own. I thought it was pretty funny.

        I was like.."well I guess I'm glad he can tell me what he needs other wise he would have just been screaming and I wouldn't know what was wrong!"

Then he does it the next night. The exact same routine. Then the next night he sleeps the whole night through. Then two nights ago he wakes up at 10:00 and eats and then at 2:30 and wants to eat.

I think.."okay now he's just playing games. There is no way he can need to eat two times." He plays his little game and eats a whole banana the first time and a whole cereal bar the second time. I'm like, "okay I guess he's having a growth spurt!"


But I'm getting tired of waking up and feeding him! And getting nervous that this is going to become a habit and I'll be waking up with James and Eli for nightly feedings and I know that can't happen! So when he woke up last night at 12:30 Mike said, "he'll give up eventually just let him cry, he's not going to starve."


Oh my gosh it was so hard to stay in bed.. I felt so bad! How can you tell him he can't eat! He cried for 20 minutes until he gave up and went to sleep. And of course I was then up for another 20 minutes at least making sure I couldn't hear him and just having trouble going back to sleep because I felt bad for him. I don't want him to think I don't care that he's sad! So I got back to sleep and guess what..3:30 came and I hear him again!

        I said to Mike, "okay this time he has to be hungry! And if we don't feed him he'll be up at 6:15 ready to start the day!" Mike said, "He'll be fine." So against my will I stayed in bed again. He cried for about 15 minutes this time and went back to sleep. I couldn't believe it when I woke up at 7:45 to him just talking in his bed this morning. 

       Mike says, "Gotta do it the Mike way" I know it's for the best, but I sure hope tonight is better. I just don't get how while I'm laying in bed listening to him cry and feeling awful for him Mike has fallen back to sleep! God made mamma's with these strings that pull at your heart that your boys can tug on and get you to do whatever you want..you have to be careful because otherwise they'll be ruling the house! Good thing God also made dads! :)