Battle Cries

The sleep wars have started. As you know, and often pine over, the Cooper kids sleep a lot. They have inherited my genes in the sleep department and Kareem's genes in the wake up running and don't stop till you fall down (literally) department.

As my mom has noted many times, my kids are strange, wal hamdulillah. AC actually loves his crib. When it's time to go to sleep, he happily cheers, "nigh nigh," walks to his room, looks around for what he'd like to have with him, and tries to climb up into his crib (i.e. the jungle gym where he falls asleep). We had to put the keibash on the milk at nap time routine after too many spills and his cups always winding up across the room. He's started asking for a blanket and his monkey instead. Fair enough since usually he talks to his blanket and/or his monkey quietly (or loudly) for a few minutes and falls off to sleep.

I had suspected something was up however when KC suddenly became extra chatty during the day. She's turned into a AC mini motor mouth and the only cause I could see was that AC's been training her during their naptime talks.

When the sleep wars started, I realized this was in fact the case. AC had been practicing the whole week, mimicking KC's various wails, cries, and shouts. Tripping over a shoe, he would fall to the ground and let out a cry that could bring grandparents running from the farthest corners of the globe. Waiting for lunch to get finished, he would wiggle and whine letting out KC's signature "choking wail" that is somewhat reminiscent of the classic "Whazzup" commercials. Playing with toys, he would suddenly drop them and begin the "beggars grunt," a sound of pure perseverance mixed with a weighty undertone of frustration. While I thought these shows were primarily for me, I found out this week that they were really for KC. The message: I'm listening and I LOVE what I hear, ramp it up kiddo. KC got the message loud and clear.

First there were just whispers of a revolt. KC seemingly muttering back to AC while he talked in his crib. Nothing to worry about. We did let KC have a few naps in the pack and play so AC would have less of an audience, but soon, she started with her own show, acking and gargling loudly as soon as she was laid down. Hoping her crib would lull her to sleep as it usually does, I returned her to the room yesterday. The acks continued. The gargling only got louder and then soon it grew into a symphony of the most inharmonious combination of sounds ever to be mumbled and sputtered by 2 supposedly sleepy children. KC was obviously leading the charge with AC imitating her every sound often following up with a laugh of glee. I went in to take his monkey out of the crib (a futile attempt at persuading him to go to sleep) I found him standing up in his crib, draping his blanket over the inside of his crib as if he was setting a stage for their next act. Forlorn at the loss of his monkey, he settled for a moment, but there is no rest for the weary, especially when they have a little sister egging them on. KC continued her noises until AC realized that the show must go on. Getting his second wind, he perked up, chatting just as jovially and loudly as before.

Since KC hasn't yet developed a sense of cause and effect, she really had me at a stalemate. The only choice was to turn to my earplugs and simply wait out their onslaught. The earplugs gave about 15 minutes of relief before the sound of AC's piercing, "no really, I'm hurt, bleeding, and in deep physical and/or emotional pain" cry started to creep through. I went in to see what disaster had so stricken my first born. AC lay there crying, tears streaming down his face, staring longingly at KC who had decided to lay down her weapons (for the time being) and rest up for tomorrow. AC was understandably heart broken. On a good day, AC could play and sing in his crib for up to 3 hours (I would imagine, not that he's ever had the chance). His trainee has turned out to be a sleeping turncoat.

With KC now starting to play with the blinds too, we may have to rig up some system for ensuring a quiet, peaceful nap time for the years to come until we can move into a 3 bedroom home with rooms big enough to place their cribs far from windows, doors, dressers, changing tables, walls, or anything else that might distract them from sleeping. Gladly, since AC now has a partner in crime, he has stopped kicking the walls and banging his crib against them to let us know he's up in the mornings.

In other milestone news:

KC continues to progress in her mobility. She still hasn't figured out how to coordinate her legs, but she can now move pretty much anywhere in a straight line by pulling herself along on her belly. When placed on the floor, she turns into a stuff seeking compass, immediately turning herself in the direction of any stuff that she's not supposed to have. I had been told that babies like to play with keys and phones because they see adults with them. I suspect this is in fact the case since KC's hierarchy of stuff is 1) shoes and feet 2) my stuff 3) AC's stuff 4) paper 5) chair legs and (only when all other avenues of stuff seeking have been exhausted) 6) her stuff.

With winter just around the corner (yes, it's August, but it's already getting into the 40's at night here) and KC growing out of her clothes once again, we're starting to pack away all the 3-6 month summer dresses. Apparently (according to AK) kids grow while they are sleeping. Long nights have certainly paid off for KC as she's moved from being a near premie to being over 50% in height.

AC has made great strides in potty training. This week, AK thought it would be a good idea to let him sit on the toilet as practice for going out. Worth a try. 2 year old on a toilet. Ok.

First, AC sat. Then, he looked around, found the toilet paper was within easy reach and became delighted. After learning that he was not, in fact allowed to play with this rather intriguing perpetual paper machine, he decided he'd try taking a dip in his personal pool. After he dunked one foot in the toilet, I took him off  and explained he wasn't allowed to put his feet in the water. A few hours later, we tried again. He sat. He looked around. Then, he pushed his torso up with his hands, raising himself off of the toilet, and let himself down half way into the toilet. After I explained that he wasn't allowed to put his body in the toilet, we tried again. He did manage to proudly pee in the toilet, but I'm going to stick with the 2 potty seats he has for awhile.

AC is now in full big boy underwear during the day and his post pee Smartie has been replaced with grapes since he was getting almost up to a pack a day. He tried asking for his Smartie too after I gave him grapes the first time. I felt bad for breaking what had been an unspoken deal between us, so I caved that once, explaining that Smarties were no more. He apparently got the hint and seems happy with the trade off.