"Game over"

Once upon a time...

I'm quoting Joe with that title when referring to what this post is about, and it just so happens to be about Noah and how he can officially climb out of his cot now... noooooooooo! I was dreading the day, because I knew that with this new challenge comes defiance at bed time and little sneaks into our bed at night.

In the eve of my birthday, Noah woke in the middle of the night screaming. He usually doesn't do this, so I went in to check on him and what usually works (a drink of water and quick cuddle) didn't. Instead just as I had left him and reached my room, I heard his door open followed by little pitter-patters, and there he was standing there in the hallway. So I picked him up and Joe volunteered to have him by his side of the bed. Big mistake? Yeah, kinda. So there were 5 in the bed- I'm including the belly here, and El who had snuck in 20mins prior to Noah (that's a whole other post)- and though it was terribly uncomfortable, I managed to fall asleep. Half an hour or so later, we're all woken up by a loud thump when Noah rolled out the bed and onto the floor... bad, bad, idea. The night ended with Joe and Noah going to sleep in El's bed.

The next night was a similar story, minus the rolling out of bed part. Joe took Noah to El's bed, and stayed with him until he left for work early in the morning, leaving Noah there on his own 'till he woke at 8am, which was lovely. But tonight we moved onto the next part... the defiance part. At bed time, he got out 4 times, each time we put him back in. In the last attempt I stood outside his door and held it shut while he threw the biggest tantrum. When he would settle, I'd go in to cuddle him and ask "Are you ready for bed?" To which the answer every time was a big fat "NO!" and the tantrum would resume. So I'd close the door and wait another 5 mins. Well, 36 minutes later of opening and closing the door and hearing his fussing and screaming, I walked in to find him laying on his coach quietly. I asked him "Noah, would you like me to put you in your bed" and again I got the same answer, a big fat "NO!"

So that's where I've  left him, on the couch, all while I type this post. He's been quiet this whole time and no doubt fast asleep and probably dreaming about how mean mummy is. Now, I'm going to go in there and put him in his cot before he rolls off the couch, and await his little visit into our room late at night. At this point, it really does feel like 'game over'. For now anyway. I have a plan (or two) up my sleeve, and 9 weeks to perfect it. I'm praying it works.

"NO!" to the cot.