Ellie the Puffer

All it took was a very special humidifier in the shape of an elephant. Who knew?

Last night, Joy spent the night, or most of the night, in her own bed in her own room! Yippee! And we haven’t been home 3 months yet! I was surprised!

We have been working on it, since day one, really, mostly by saying that she isn’t old enough or big enough to spend the night up there by herself. Last week, she started saying that her bed was really nice. Then it was that could she sleep on it during the day? She had spent a few time-outs up there alone where I know she just went to sleep for awhile. Yesterday, she started saying that maybe she’d like it in her room at night. So I was thinking, we need a humidifier for that room if she’s going up there.

We were at Target last night with Daddy, and she saw this cute elephant humidifier, where the steam comes out of its trunk. (Hmmm, wonder how we happened to be down that aisle?) She just lit up and told us she wanted to sleep in her room “tonight with elephant”. Okay-dokey! She also said that she wanted Daddy to sleep in the bed in the playroom and Mama to sleep downstairs. Hmmm – I’d hate to think that a 5 year old could be that manipulative, but I think she wants to keep us separated…

So that’s what we did – she slept in her bed (with me on the floor beside her till she fell asleep) and then Tim went and slept in the playroom bed. Until about 3am.

Then she appeared in my bedroom with tears. She said she was scared. We cuddled a minute and then went back upstairs and got back into her bed. We also had to check in on Daddy and make sure he was still there (and awake, sorry Tim). She fell right back to sleep, with the turtle night light and the cd back to the beginning. Tim said that she was in his bed about an hour later. He came downstairs shortly thereafter.

Joy has the most amazing way of sleeping – she pushes the pillows off to the side, then gets sideways in the center of the bed (no matter how big or small the bed is), and kicks until she’s asleep. Makes it hard to sleep in the same bed with her!

This morning, she was all bright and cheery and happy to be alive. Her elephant was still puffing, and she wanted to show me first thing. I’m hoping that the novelty won’t wear off until we’re happy sleeping in our room alone!!

I'll try to get a picture tomorrow of the humidifier and maybe her in her bed, if I can get her to sit still long enough.