A Few Short Stories

The Switch

Yesterday morning, Benjamin and Lyla woke up around the same time. We got them up and put them on the bed next to us. I gave Lyla her bottle Benjamin gave Lyla her bottle. The second Lyla was done with her bottle, she threw it off the bed and leaped over Benjamin so that she could sit with her Daddy. Almost simultaneously, Benjamin crawled around his baby sister so that he could curl up next to me. That is pretty much our family dynamic right now.

The Bedtime Routine


It has always been very important to us to have a good bedtime routine for our kids. Even when Benjamin was very young I started a little routine for him so he could have a few simple sleep cues to help him wind down and know that it was almost time for bed. One of our favorite things has always been reading books together in the glider at bedtime. After books, I would always sing Benjamin one of his favorite songs: Baby Beluga, Edelweiss, Twinkle Twinkle, and Take Me out to the Ballgame. Lyla, however, is too smart for the bedtime routine. The second she gets wind of the fact that it is bedtime (for example when I go to brush her teeth or put on her pajamas) she starts to cry. No matter how hard I try, she will not ever let me rock her and sing her a song or read to her right before bed. She just screams and cries and arches her back. Now it seems like this little girl would have a lot of trouble going to sleep. No. She cries and cries until you put her in her crib with her paci… and then she cries some more. About 30 seconds after you shut the door and leave her room… total silence for the next 12 hours. It’s great that Lyla puts herself to sleep, but I really miss having a bedtime routine with her.

Food Envy


When I was a kid we had a kitten and a dog for a while. Our kitten only wanted to eat the dog food, and our dog only wanted to eat the kitty food. Enter the baby and the toddler. Lyla does not really like baby jars, puffs, cheerios, or any typical baby food. She wants chicken, whole bananas, sliced turkey, fresh fruit, bread, etc… Benjamin, who is a great eater of all of these things, still LOVES baby jars and puffs. If I make chicken for Benjamin and get out a jar for Lyla, 9 out of 10 times they will end out eating each other’s dinner.

The Stalker


Benjamin loves Lyla, but sometimes he gets a little exhausted having her around all of the time. She spends most of the day following him around, imitating everything he does, taking his toys, and often pulling his hair. He is usually very sweet in the way that he puts up with all of this. He loves to bring her toys, try to teach her new words, and give her her bottle. However, when things get rough Benjamin always asks “Please Lyla nap?” I probably hear those words at least five times a day.