Bedtime Progress?

It's 8:40. Over the last 1/2 hour, Gavin has been out of bed 10 times, but there has been no crying, no arguing, and no whining. He only asked for more prayers one of those times. The last time he came out, I went to pick him up to carry him back to bed and he just turned right around and said "I gonna walk" and he walked right back to his bed. He doesn't seem to be getting out of bed tonight to spite me - he seems like he is doing it because he just doesn't think he's quite ready to go to sleep.

 ...make that 11 times tonight. Just put him back in bed for the 11th time. Still, no complaints though.

I'm not sure if this is progress or if I'm actually undoing what had been progress. You see, I had a stomach bug on Monday night. We assume it's the Norovirus since the news says it's going around and is very contageous. A week ago, Gavin, his cousin Collin, and my Mom all had it. My mom had watched the boys at our house on Tuesday and then out of the blue Wednesday night Gavin started throwing up. He didn't act sick at all. In fact, it was bed time and he came out of his room (like usual) and when I went to walk him back to his room, I noticed something on the shoulder of his pajamas. Yup - regurgitated pizza. It was on his jammies, in his hair, on his face and neck. He didn't seem to notice. I asked, "Gavin, what's on your jammies, did you throw up?" and he responded in his usual cheerful and upbeat voice, "Uh-huh! In mine bed!" Thank goodness my niece and her friend were here. While I got Gavin in the bathtub and Cliff got some clean jammies, my niece and her friend stripped the vomit-covered sheets, pillow cases, blankets, and stuffed animals from Gavin's bed, threw them into the wash, and made his bed again with clean sheets, blankets, etc. Gavin wasn't acting sick at all and was giggling and playing and being himself - completely. We were sure that he had somehow gagged from coughing or maybe the pizza disagreed with his stomach. A little while later Gavin started calling me from his room. I told him to go back to sleep. Before I knew it, he was shrieking "Mommy" and running out of his room, spraying everywhere! He threw up in his bed, then ran across his room (miraculously missing his carpeted floor), projected out his bedroom doorway (on the hardwood only) and proceeded to run across the living room and dining room, spraying most of the way. I picked him up and held him, since this time he was pretty freaked out. Cliff and the girls cleaned it all up, again! I have to say it was mostly those girls cleaning it up! Gotta love having two paramedics over who aren't the slightest bit phased by the sight (or smell) of children's vomit. It helps too, I'm sure, that they both spend a lot of time with kids and like kids a lot. Even puking, my little guy is pretty easy to like and that makes his puke, well, maybe not so much easy to like, but easier to handle. maybe? okay, maybe that makes no difference. But, he's sweet and cute, nonetheless. He was still acting like himself and we were sure now that it was something that he ate. We called to find out what he had eaten for lunch and snack, since that seemed the likely culprit. One possibly questionable item on the menu, but we weren't sure that was it.

Awhile later Gavin started whimpering again and I went in to check on him and he was heaving. Poor little guy. So, three sets of bedding later, three changes of pajamas for Gavin, two changes of pajamas for me, and a whole lot of towels and disinfectant later, the girls headed home so I could stay in Gavin's room and keep a closer eye on him. Cliff got my pillow and a blanket for me and tucked Gavin and me in to Gavin's little twin bed - I didn't want to risk not waking up if he was sick again. It didn't take long and he started wimpering again and then heaving again. Each time, Cliff came in to help me comfort him and do anything we could to help him, although there wasn't much we could do. Around 1:00am, his little body settled down and let him rest for awhile. Morning came all too soon (or maybe it took too long to come). It was a long and restless night. "Sleeping" in a twin bed with a toddler, sick or not, is not conducive to sleep.

The next morning, I called my Mom to warn her that Gavin was sick. My Dad answered the phone. When I told him what I was calling about, he said that Mom had been sick since just after supper the night before... about the time Gavin got sick. So, then I called my sister to tell her, since her 1-year old had been at our house too. She said that he was fine as far as she knew, but she would call her husband, who was still at home, to give him a heads up. She called back a few minutes later - when her husband went to get Collin up, he saw that Collin had thrown up in his crib. Oh my gosh. They had all gotten sick at the same time. Was it possible that they were all exposed on Tuesday and all got sick the very next day? The timing of that didn't really pan out, but who knew. Gavin and Collin both obviously stayed home from daycare the following day, but the day after, daycare called to let us know that two of her kids were now also throwing up. Then that night, Cliff's Mom got it. We still don't know where it came from. My other sister called on Monday and said that one of her kids was sick. Then Monday night, I got it. I stayed home from work on Tuesday.

This brings me back to the bedtime progress question. We always read two books, turn off the lamp, say a prayer, and give hugs & kisses. So... Monday night when I was sick, I was in bed so Cliff put Gavin to bed from start to finish. We told Gavin that I wasn't feeling good and so Daddy was going to read both books and say prayers. I didn't hear a peep and Gavin stayed in his bed. He didn't get out of his bed once!

The next night (last night) when Cliff suggested it was my turn to do bedtime, I pointed out how smoothly it went when Cliff did it on his own. So, we compromised. I read Gavin the first book and then gave him a goodnight kiss and told him that Daddy was going to read the second book and say prayers and I was going to bed. Cliff read the second book, said prayers, and gave kisses. Gavin only came out of his room once. When Cliff tucked him back in I heard Gavin say "need kisses" and I heard Cliff giving his little boy the sweetest little smooches. It melted my heart.

So, did I undo that progress tonight by doing bedtime on my own again? After all, Gavin DID get up 11 times. I stuck to my guns though. When I first tucked him in, I looked him in the eye and told him gently but firmly that it was time for sleeping and that I expected him to stay in his bed. The first time he got up I got down to eye level and said, "It is time for sleeping now. You need to stay in your bed. I love you" Each time after that I just lovingly put him back into his bed without saying anything and without lingering. He didn't run immediately to the door like he usually does either. He stayed in bed for a few minutes and then quietly walked to the door. On the fourth or fifth time, when he asked for "mo pwayos", I simply said "we already said prayers, good night"

Is it working? Who knows! Am I glad that there wasn't any bawling or hitting or door slamming or yelling? Heck yes I am!!! I'll say it's progress. Even if it is two steps forward and one step back. I'll take it.