Move on down the line

Holy crap.

I prayed my babies to sleep. That and some silent woo-sa-ing are the only things that kept me from running out of my house, yelling like a crazy person.

We had an interesting weekend. Nap strikes were plentiful. We’ve been going strong with fairly easy naps for a while now, a sweet relief from earlier. I hoped this weekend was a fluke. Then today’s first nap hit, and Toby was up about 90 minutes before he usually wakes. Then the second nap hit – this current one I’m holding my breath through.

I just ran/tiptoed out of the babies’ room, hoping the floor wouldn’t creak, I wouldn’t accidentally close the door with a sound, the dog wouldn’t click-click-click with her nails as I exited, the cat wouldn’t meow, a pin wouldn’t drop.

My mom was here to help feed the babies. When they showed signs of sleepiness, we started putting them down. Eleanor went first, and she seemed to be peaceful. Toby was next, and he seemed fine as well. Then the telltale sounds rang out over the monitor – loud and quite obviously coming from babies who are on their backs (they sleep on their bellies).

Eleanor and Toby have been flipping themselves over then getting mad or excited that they aren’t on their bellies anymore. Neither emotion is conducive to sleeping. Knowing getting the babies to sleep would be a complicated ballet, I told my mom she was free to go if she wanted. I wouldn’t be able to give suggestions or instructions while trying to figure out what I was trying to do.

Alone with them in their room, I set forth on my quest. Flip Toby and Eleanor back over. Pat butts. Soothe fussing. (They flip back.) Flip one back and pick up one. Bounce holding one while patting the other’s butt and watching Callista, propped up on her elbows and watching/listening to the chaos while blowing raspberries (the no-tongue kind, just with her lips) and saying, “OOOOOOOh.”

She’ll fall asleep once the other two cease with their shenanigans.

Bounce. Pat. Flip. Pat. Bounce. “PFFFFFFFFFTTTTT. OOOOOOOOOh!”

Finally, Toby quit fussing in my arms and was quiet. I laid him down and gently patted while he wiggled his arms and head into position.

One down, two to go.

Pick up Eleanor. Bounce. Find a position that doesn’t make my firecracker mad. Bouncing is making her mad. Swing back and forth. Position her hand so she can suck her fingers. Swing. “PFFFFFFFFFFT.” “OOOOOOOOOOOh.”

Finally, silence. Before I can even set Eleanor down in her crib, Callista has put her own head down and started sucking her thumb. Brother and sister are calm, so she can relax. Lay Eleanor down, pat her butt while she finds her fingers. Step back. Watch. Back away. Watch.

Calm. Silent, except for two little girls sucking away at their fingers/thumb and their iPod, filling the empty space with Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Journey.

“I’m forever yours / Faithfully”