Jenny On the Spot

That\’s my daughter. She\’s wanting to do everything herself. I can\’t help but hum Kelly Clarkson\’s song Miss Independent when Olivia insists on taking care of things herself. I don\’t know all the lyrics, only \”Miss Independent\”, and oh-so-independent she is trying to be…

Her newest branch of independence has to do with bedtime and naptime. Over the past couple of days she has not been allowing me or her daddy to put her to bed, though she still sleeps in her crib. She knows her door cannot remain fully open, which makes her new routine even more hearbreaking to the mama:)

Here\’s the drill… we give her kisses and turn off her bedroom light… she takes it from there. She closes her door, careful to leave a generous crack. She then heads to her crib in the darkened room and climbs right on into the crib! She must tuck herself in, because she is usually (mostly) covered up by the time I check on her before I go to bed.

I felt a twinge of heart-ache last night as I considered the weight of the issue. What if 3 nights ago was my last time to reall tuck her in? It probably wasn\’t, but it\’s worth the second thought. There are many things that pass away as our children grow. Some things we notice, some we do not. Did I treasure that possible last tucking in enough???

Joel used to call Livi \”Luva\” or \”Oluvia\”. I recall the day I noticed he was pronouncing it correctly. I said, \”Don\’t you mean OlUvia, Joel?\” He replied in a practical manner, \”No, Mom, it\’s O-LI-VI-A.\” Another milesone met, and memories begin to replace the words and actions of my babies as they grow into kids… It\’s bittersweet, I don\’t think I need to explain why…