Helicopters, Independence Celebration, Cribs, PP&P, Swimming, Somersaults, New Babies, Date Night and Bedtime Battles - Oh My! - Part Deux!

Ahhhh...another peaceful night.  Yes, so peaceful that I woke with a start at 5:05!  Even though Tate has been consistently sleeping through the night for months;  I can't remember the last time he woke up crying or fussing...I think it was 20 months?  22 months?  Who knows?  And though he still tends to fuss in his sleep around 4/ 4:30 or so he always goes back to sleep on his own.  


And that's the problem.  I almost always wake up right before he starts stirring, whether I'm downstairs or in the room with him.  So, my sleep is disrupted twice.  


But I always go back to sleep and dream some more.  So I'm going to live with it.  Look how far we've come!!  


Which brings me to....


CRIBS!


Tate is still sleeping in his crib.  He goes in happily and doesn't *really* try to get out.  Oh I see him on the monitor hefting a leg up, but he quickly gets nervous and puts it down.   He's yet to try to get out.  And yes, yes, yes many people tell me "Ummm girl don't wait until he climbs out, move him now!"  But I am in no mood for adding to our bedtime battles (see Part I).  And I may not be giving him enough credit...as is evidenced by when we were in Atlanta last September, he slept in a toddler bed all three nights and never once got out of the bed until morning.  See!  He did get right on out as soon as morning came.  But he went right to sleep in a strange room, in a strange kind of bed with no tears...

At Uncle Roland's in Atlanta.  Sound asleep. (look at all that sweat..sign of a good sleep!)

But no.  I'm not moving him anytime soon.  I'll give him a few more months.  What's the harm?  He likes it, he's safe, he has books I've strategically placed once he's asleep all around the crib for when he wakes in the morning and he sleeps well.  I am not rocking this boat.  I've quieted my own second thoughts.  Who cares about anyone else's thoughts?  They can take a flying leap :)


Speaking of flying leaps...my son now does a mean somersault!


SOMERSAULTS!


Wow!  I was just shocked the other day.  Tate did a beautiful forward roll, actually several!  Head tucked, legs under, straight line...Olympic worthy somersaults.  He's been in gymnastics at daycare since last fall.  They have a coach come in on Thursdays and work with the kiddos in age appropriate groups.  Sadly, I've never seen Tate in action with Coach Bruce because his class is at 10:30 on Thursdays, but his teacher took some cute pics for me over the year.  


In any event, I'd have to say my little gymnast is doing quite well.

Every now and then he doesn't tuck his neck appropriately, so I do get worried when he's at home doing this.  I've tried to impress upon him he needs to have an adult in the room with him when he decides he wants to do his forward rolls.  I don't worry so much during his actual class, since his coach is there, however I've seen during pick up the kids doing the rolls on their own on the mats and I wonder if the teachers are really watching them. (Hmmmm...I'll have to check)  


But still so very proud of him and his form!!!  Where has my baby gone?


Speaking of...


BABIES!


Tate absolutely loves holding babies.  When we leave daycare he tends to want to stick his head in the baby room and look around and whenever we see my sister and her new baby he asks to hold the baby.  If I just mention we're going to go visit he'll say "Can I hold the baby?"  At the zoo the other day, Tate was eating, and Kellie handed me the baby to hold for a minute and Tate piped up "I can hold the baby!"  

He does have his very own American Girl doll here at home (one of the sweet Itty Bitty Boy Twins) with a stroller that he'll stroll around every now and again.  More often than not he grabs him by the curly hair and swings him about, but he does dole out hugs and kisses to his baby too.  Now if he would just name the poor little guy something other than 'Baby Doll.'  I hope he's not holding out for the real thing to come home to our house! :)