Ms. Rip Van Twinkle

I like sleep just like most people, but you don't really cherish sleeping soundly until you've become a parent. I remember bringing Noa' home from the hospital watching her sleep "like a baby" in her crib all the while I was the ultimate insomniac. A few days into doing this I had to give in and realized that she was one of the easiest babies ever. She rarely woke up for feedings and I really had no reason to stay up and watch her lil chest move in and out. She was quiet as a mouse and so very pleasant. I was lucky. THEN.

Flash forward to 2010 with my now 5-year-old Prima Donna and to my surprise no longer a soundly sleeping child. We recently moved to a new home which is considerably bigger than the last and I was more than happy to decorate Noa's new room with all that she could dream of. It's a pink and white Taj Mahal with Princess Furniture, Barbie Dolls, Stuffed Animals, lots of books and best of all clothes, a huge closet full of them that even has room for her toys to be neatly stacked away. I'd like to think that any little girl her age would envy a room like this one and was excited for her as she laid eyes on it for the first time. "Oh Mommy", she said, "this is so beautiful! Is it all for me? I think I’m gonna cry". I had to turn my head to the window so she wouldn't catch a glimpse of me balling my eyes out. "I love this room! It's a big girls room! This is great!" 
We hugged and she danced around on the carpet and all just seemed so well with the world, until later that night. I got Noa' ready for bed following our usual bedtime routine. Potty visit, brush those pearly whites, jump in the shower, get thoroughly massaged with Vaseline and Eczema cream, as if she was receiving an all out Bliss Spa package, read one of her favorite books and lastly put on the lullaby cd that I've played every night since her birth. It's always been a foolproof plan and presented one snoring child that would shame a truck diver in his cab after a cross-country run. As soon as I heard her snoring I eased out of her bed and tip toed to the night-light and crept out the door and a little voice screamed out, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING! YOU'RE NOT GONNA LEAVE ME HERE ARE YOU!" Her eyes were wide and her hair wild and I hoped she wouldn't turn into Linda Blair before my eyes. It was a new house and she needed to adjust so I invited her to sleep in the big bed with us. After weeks and weeks of trying to convince her that all was well in her room and there was nothing to be afraid of I sat her down at the island to have a "talk". Ya know the kind of sit down where you try to get into your kids head and figure out how to combat the problem.

"Noa' can you tell me why you're so afraid to sleep in your room?"

"I can't Mommy. All I can say is that it's not nice up there and I see shadows. And New York was better than here."

"Well do you think if we got rid of your night light the shadows will go away?" I said. 

"No I don't think anything is gonna work and you just need to move over and let me sleep with you guys because that’s what families do. It's so sweet and your bed is really fluffy."

Answering like any desperate Mom would I suggested, "tonight lets ask God to help us when you say your prayers. You think that's a good idea?"

"I think he's too busy making rainbows and stuff Mommy but i'll ask him cause I want a new Zsu Zsu pet, a baby sister and a puppy and I have to talk to him about those things." 

How could I follow that up? I tried so many things to change her mind and help her to face her fears, bribery, blackmail, sea salt, frankincense and sage. I even did a Native American Indian dance, which she hysterically enjoyed but immediately after grabbed her pillow and jutted out her hand and said "lets go downstairs to our room." It's been 3 months and she has her good days and her bad days. Many a night I’m tempted to go for that old school route and break out the Benedryl or E&J Brandy to rub on her gums but my guilt always gets the best of me. Noa's already shown pre-disposed clues of possibly being that college girl on a table that will get the party started (much like her mom) and I figured I shouldn't add fuel to the fire. Some nights she'll wake up 3 or 4 times at night, like she's on a breast feeding schedule, screaming "MOMMY!" at the top of her lungs. I’ve had more than my share of bruises falling up the stairs to go and soothe her.  

My current solution is to be patient and always reassure her that she is safe. We continue to follow the same routine that we've always followed. She's actually slept overnight twice in her room, and I try not to make them short lived celebrations. As she's saying her prayers at night Mommy has her own lil prayer for that one day, one fine day, or week, or month, she'll actually sleep in that beautiful room of hers. God Willing. Until then i'll just move over and endure her little feet in my ribs, I mean I don't know of any 30 year olds that sleep with their parents so I'm hopeful.