Okay, ladies, this is a straight-up cry for help. HOW do you get a baby to sleep later? HOW? HOW? HOW? Micah, who is 20 months old, has always been an early riser. Lately it's gotten worse. Instead of waking up at 5 (his usual), he's waking up at 4. He's clearly not ready to be awake, judging by his attitude. Then I have a hard time keeping him awake until 11:30, when we pick Ethan up from preschool. My husband and I have tried lots of things - changing him, giving him a cup of milk, then putting him back to bed (he cries when the milk is gone), letting him just fuss (he wakes his brother, who is really not ready to get up), putting him in bed with us (he thrashes around for a while, then sits up and starts talking and playing), etc. I really don't want to split the boys up, for sentimental as well as practical reasons. But this is getting tough, especially for my husband, who gets up with Micah 90% of the time. In a few weeks the boys and I are going on a trip to the central time zone and I'm terrified I'm going to be up at 3 every day while we're there. So, Motley Moms, and whomever else is reading, HELP!!!
Oh, and to add to the morning problems, Micah is usually soaked when he wakes up. He has literally gotten too big for his britches. He's in #6 diapers and they're too small, especially at night. I've gotten overnight diapers but they only came in size 5 so they didn't really help.
This is not a good morning, as you can tell from my whining. Micah was awake at 4 and I went in and told him, "No. It's too early. Be quiet. Ethan's asleep," and he did lay back down for an hour. I didn't go back to sleep, though, because I was waiting to see if he would. He was awake again at 5, soaked, so I changed him and brought him to bed with Todd and me. He just played, so Todd got up with him. I did go back to sleep for about an hour then, but Todd's been awake since 4 and Ethan woke up too early because Micah was screaming.
I think I'll feel better once I shotgun this cup of coffee. Thanks in advance for all the great tips you're going to give me!
Edited: By the way, we have also tried keeping him awake later and putting him to bed really early, but he still wakes up at the same time.

Random Ramblings and Falling IQ's

I used to be eloquent. I could remember exactly what I wanted to say, even in the middle of saying it. I could speak intelligently, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. People understood me. I remembered dates, times, names, and faces with no problem. I could make a phone call and remember who I called, even after several rings.

Now, I have to glance at my phone screen to see whose number I dialed. Sometimes even after they have answered. WHAT is that?!

I make plans, immediately forget to write it on my calendar, and then recall the check I wrote for an event I should be at right now. Surprise!

I garble my words, especially when I'm tired. No one can understand me. Not even me. And then I forget what I was trying to say in the middle of saying it.

I can NEVER think of the word I want. It stays cemented to the tip of my brain, taunting me with the knowledge of its existence and my inability to deliver it.

Now I just go on and on about random things like Quakers and furniture and lack of sufficient discipline all in one speech that should be about, I don't know, say "summer vacation." And it doesn't even occur to me that it's unusual until I realize people are jokingly referring to my propensity for winding speeches involving Quakers, removal of furniture, and discipline. Hm.

Who is this person? Is motherhood to blame? Has my IQ actually dropped because of it? WHAT is going on?

Dear Motley Moms...

I was all set today to share the story of my family versus the Brown Widow spiders on our back porch, but I need a favor instead. PLEASE HELP US! WE ARE LIVING WITH A PRESCHOOLER!

Our son is almost three, and it has been a crazy summer. We traveled for almost a month, and when we returned home we closed on our new house the next day, so since our return we have been packing and moving and shopping, etc. We have tried to keep our routines as constant as possible, but he has thrown a curve ball into the schedule. Our little guy has been a trooper throughout this whole ordeal, and his behavior has been amazingly stellar for the most part. The exception: When it is time to change clothes, change diapers, take baths, and do anything that requires our grown-up help, the charming little guy says, "Don't get me!" and starts running around our newly acquired living room furniture, laughing hysterically as he does so. When we finally catch him (he's pretty fast), he screams and cries, "Noooo, Daddy/Mommy got me!!!!" What follows can get pretty ugly.

We have tried playing along, standing our ground, trapping him between the two of us and the sofa...it's pretty exhausting and not a lot of fun. When we have a schedule to keep, such as getting to church on time, it's even less fun. These episodes, I'm ashamed to say, usually end in me yelling and him crying. Yet, he continues to do it. Every time. And we don't know what to do.

So, Motley Mommies, does this sound familiar to anyone? How can we express to our son that it's great to have fun and play games, but certain things like getting ready for bed and getting ready to leave the house simply can't involve a high-speed obstacle-course chase? I appreciate your feedback!

On another note, thank you for your patience the past two Tuesdays--I apologize for not blogging, but until the end of last week we had been completely without internet service in our house and blogging at the library with a two-year-old in tow was not my idea of a good time. Also, if anyone is interested in the spider story I can post it over at my personal blog--I know Pam will be disappointed to miss it. ;)