Bed time for Biscuit

We can't complain about Biscuit's sleeping. He started out sleeping 18 hours a day like most newborns, then he moved on to waking up every four hours or so to eat, then he went right into sleeping through the night.

We've had some bumps in the road ... teething, colds and bad dreams ... but for the most part, Biscuit is a great sleeper.

We've never really had a strict bedtime for Biscuit. Our time with him is so limited that I told Jeff that until Biscuit started school, we could just play it by ear. He gets a nap every day at day care, and we do put him down for a nap on the weekends, but as for a set nightly bedtime, we just don't worry about it.

Sometimes, if it's getting late, and Biscuit is showing signs of being tired or if he starts to get grumpy, we make him go to bed. But even then, we put him down and leave him, and he lies there until he goes to sleep.

Sometimes, we don't realize how tired he is until this happens ...

This picture actually tells you a lot about the state of things for us right now.

Do you see the bruise above Biscuit's right ankle? Well, it's rare that you can only see one of those. Usually, between his ankles and knees, there are 8 to 10 of those.

See the red spot above his left ankle? Mosquito bite. He usually has a handful of those, too.

See the assorted cars to his left and right and the black ball by his left shoulder? We find those types of things ALL OVER OUR HOUSE. I would actually bet money that at least one of those vehicles is under one of the couch cushions right now!

I have no idea how he can be comfortable enough in that position to go to sleep, but he does that quite often. The sad thing is that I remember when his legs wouldn't hang off the edge like that. He's getting so big!

Sometimes, Biscuit has bad dreams. That started right around the time he turned 2. I asked his doctor about it when he had his 2-year-old checkup, and he said it's perfectly normal. As Biscuit's imagination develops, his thoughts don't stick to his waking hours, they move into his dreams as well. Every once in a while when he has one of these dreams, he'll scream for us to come get him. Most of the time, we go up to his room, hold him for a little while, then he'll go back to sleep.

Occasionally, it's so bad, he practically begs us to come downstairs. We try to be very careful when we give in to that request because we don't want it to become a habit. But when you get to the doorway of his room, and he's standing up and reaching for you and yelling "Get me, Mama, get me," or "Hold me, pease, Mama," there is nothing you can do but squeeze him tight and make sure he knows that nothing will get him.

On those nights, he gets to join us in our bed.

If I'm being perfectly honest, though, part of the reason we try to limit his trips down to our room is that he is a terrible bedmate. Sometimes he sleeps in the shape of a letter "L." That means his feet are in my back or Jeff's. And sometimes, he tosses and turns so much that you get smacked in the face with his flailing hands and arms. And sometimes, he turns himself across the bed, and I head to the couch.

Like he did one night last week. Can you see the sliver of sleeping space Jeff has?



















This morning, Jeff went to wake up Biscuit. He said Biscuit was lying with his head toward the window. He usually sleeps with his head toward his closet.

"Good morning, Biscuit," Jeff said while rubbing Biscuit's back. "It's time to wake up."

Biscuit opened his eyes, looked around and realized he was lying the wrong way.

"Don't pick me up yet. I'm sleeping the wrong way," Biscuit said.

For real. Can you believe that?

So Jeff gave Biscuit a minute to turn himself around, then he scooped him up and brought him down to start the morning.

We're getting ready to put Biscuit in a toddler bed. Jeff's parents bought it for Biscuit for his birthday. Luckily, the crib mattress will fit on his new bed, so fingers crossed, he'll keep on sleeping!