When You Think You've Got it Figured Out

I mentioned the other day about what an awesome transition Lily has made to one nap a day. Well, yesterday was an utter trainwreck simply based on activity.  When she doesn't get the sleep she needs, the rest of her day is just off.

Yesterday morning, I got Andrew and Reag off to school, normal start to the day.  It was also Andrew's 6th grade Track & Field Day.  This is a big event in our district.  All four of the elementary schools compete against one another and it's held at the high school's stadium.  Big time event.

Lily and I had planned to attend the opening ceremony {complete with Olympic opening theme music} and leave after Andrew's first event and return a couple hours later for his remaining events. It didn't work out that way. We stayed the duration. 9am until 1:30pm. Of course, I was prepared with drinks and snacks and sunscreen, but when the concession stand was open, I just got her a hot dog for lunch and we stayed.  It rained, it was cloudy, it was breezy, it was sunny, it was humid, it was hot. Everything that Pittsburgh weather is...consistenly inconsistent.

What that meant in terms of her nap was she was limited to a short one after we got home and had to pick up Andrew and Reag at school for an afterschool appointment. 

While we were still at the Olympics track, she said, "Sleep," when a friend stopped to say hello to us. I laughed. She needs her dark room, her sound machine and all her other sleep cues to fall asleep, but girl knew she was tired.  On the way home, she kept trying to doze off in the carseat and I knew that if she slept for the 10 minute ride, she'd never got to sleep when we got home. And I needed her to nap before we had to pick up at school.  That created a car scene of a loud radio, lots of singing, talking to her, clapping hands, windows down and a myriad of other keep-Lily-awake actions.  Whew! Success. 

Up to bed, all cues present and she was out.  For an hour.  She usually sleeps around 3 hours, but we had to leave.  I hate waking a sleeping babe.

Off we headed to get the kids and to the appointment. She loves to see Bubby and Sissy, so she was pretty ecstatic even in her sleep-deprived state.

After the appointment we needed to stop by the grocery store for some cheese for our grilled burgers, 5pm. 3 kids. The grocery store. Nightmare scenario.  Luckily we made it unscathed and headed home.

Supper.

Bathtime.

Bedtime for sleepy, eye-rubbing baby girl?  Nope.

Crying crying crying, "Mommmmmmmmy! Maaaaaammmmmma!"

I can't take that.

I went and got her, rocked her, sang to her, still no luck.  I brought her downstairs to lay with me on the couch. I knew she was exhausted. Overtired. It's now an hour past her bedtime and she's F-I-G-H-T-I-N-G sleep like nobody's business.

Daddy took her back up to bed. She cried a little bit and then off to dreamland she went.

Finally...

She slept so well that I had to wake her up this morning.