Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Baby Karaoke

For the last two nights, TG has woken up 20 minutes after she's fallen asleep in a miffed mood. Apparently, she doesn't want to go to bed yet. She goes to bed like she normally does. I attribute this to our routine. She loves to wash her face, brush her teeth (ok, love no but near water yes), put lotion on her hands, change into pjs, read a book, prayers, singing, etc. She falls asleep nursing and then 20 minutes later she wakes up upset and says, "All done. Shirt." Shirt is her way of saying, "Mommy, get dressed and let's go outside."
I try to maintain the peace and in the dark I try to get her to lay down again but she fights it. I tried our usual methods to get her back to sleep, cradled in my arm as I rub her back, swaying to 'Can't Take My Eyes Off of You' and the big guns, Ergo. She protests through all three. I finally figured out if I don't even go this route and allow her to sit on my lap with a short video of her doing something (I have a million on my phone) within 15 minutes, she crawls to her bed and goes back to bed.
It's as if she knows the tricks I use to get her to go back to sleep and she's not buying it. I recall reading how from 18 months to 4 years, the trick for any parent is to make your toddler think he/she is getting her way and doing what he/she wants to do.
In this example, I think she believed I was allowing her to stay up and even giving her a cool distraction (a video) to watch. She naturally calmed down and her body was able to tell her again that it was time to go to bed and she complied with her body's message.
Speaking of video, I'm still trying to limit any television or video time. It's getting harder as she now equates the laptop to video conferences with her grandmom and she loves to watch videos of herself at play.
I suppose videos of herself and video chats with grandmom are ok. DH and I will allow a Jack's Big Music Show if we're in dire straights. Usually that falls into three categories: 1) our bodily functions require a short absence from TG, 2) I am on a conference call or 3) she's completed a massive poop that requires a toddler not to squirm during a diaper change. We added the first one recently as TG has not opted to climbing things. She's usually careful but I've caught her several times ontop of our windowsill, couch, nightstand, ottoman, dining room chairs, her table, her chairs, etc... The idea of being indisposed on the toilet and then hearing a crashing sound led us to believe 10 minutes of Jack's is not going to be as bad.
On the vocal front, TG is now singing. She does the standard, last words of a phrase singing. We all do it, admit it. "Whether you're a mumble mumble Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive."
It's really cute to hear her sing the kids songs but strange to hear her sing pop songs. This is how I found out DH has switched from the classic music station to the oldies station to the pop station during playtime.
TG: "Ooh New York" bopping and playing with her ball popper
PG: Did she just say New York?
DH: Yes, she's singing Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes.

TG: "Rah Rah Ah Ah Ah" playing with her shape sorter
PG: What did you say, honey?
DH: She's singing. Lady Gaga's Bad Romance

TG: "Yeah Yeah, Yeah......Hard" playing with her kitchen and bopping
PG: Rihanna?
DH: Yup.

Folks may recall that I've mentioned TG hums Led Zeppelin songs. Now she's singing pop songs. I'm waiting for her to start singing XTC's Generals and Majors and DH has not stopped singing this song since he heard it on the radio a last week. I just hope DH doesn't switch to Hip Hop music. I won't be able to explain that when an expletive accidentally is repeated.