I seriously didn't think this would be an issue until at least the toddler stages. I have one stubborn child.
Mason's bed time has been earlier this week due to the fact we are staying at my parents house on the Island for a visit. (Vancouver Island, BC) for you 'out of towners'. The traveling puts his routine off a wee bit and so it's to be expected that we'd be a bit off course. Tonight Mason showed signs of being sleepy around 7ish so after his normal routine of change, bottle etc, we put him down around 8 and he was fast asleep. Fast forward to 10:00pm and monkey cries, he's awake. Okay so I go upstairs (we don't have stairs at home cause we live in a Condo...my legs are SORE after being here for a few days from trudging up and down the stairs to the bedrooms). I lay him down, tell him it's night night, give him his bottle, turn on the new crib aquarium my Mom bought him and leave the room. Five mins later....wahhh wahhh. He's standing in his crib. I lay him down, tell him it's night night, give him his binky and leave the room. Five mins later....wahhh wahhh. I do this 3 more times before I realize this kid ain't going down without a fight. So I scoop him up, blanket and all and take him downstairs to a toasty warm living room and figure we'll cuddle and he'll fall asleep. Wrong. Mason turns into swivel head and is looking all around the room, he has now decided it's play time. So I put him on the floor, he heads for the toy basket and Grammy figures she'll play with him to tucker him out and we'll put him back to bed. This lasts about 15 mins before he shows signs of sleepiness and off to the crib he goes. Mason sleeps for probably 10 mins before it's wahhh wahhh. I locate the baby anbesol and run some on his gums, he is expecting a tooth anytime now (he has none) because he's been pre-teething for almost 4 months and drooling like mad. I figure the anbesol will calm him down enough to lull himself into dreamy land. Wrong. This kid will not lie down. I figure last resort is to bring him on the bed, cuddle him up, throw some songs his way and that might work. Wrong. For what seems like an eternity, Mason crawls around his 2ft by 2ft square I've allowed for him which is circled by giant pillows to stop him from escaping my reach. He sits up, he lies on me, he gnaws on my sweater. He crawls towards the wall, bonk goes the head. He babbles 'da da da' for a few minutes to which I reply that Da Da would want him asleep so Mason should go to sleep. I adjust his position to on his back, he flips over. He bonks me on the head a few times with his noggin. Up, down, turn around, will not go to sleep. I try to put my arms around him which doesn't allow him to wiggle, he doesn't like this and cries out. I am getting frustrated, I am not quite ready to go to sleep and wouldn't be able to anyway because he will just wail in his crib. My parents are already asleep and I don't want to disturb them with the 'cry it out' method. I let Mason crawl all over me and realize there is a pattern to his movements which I'm hoping he's trying to put himself to sleep. He sits up and then he drops his head to my stomach and sits up again, repeat. It's kind of cute. This doesn't last long and he's onto some other movement. Finally I'm laying half on my side, half on my back and am clearly not comfortable. Mason is the opposite of me, his head is near my ribcage and his feet are pointing against the wall. He jams his head just over my shoulder, resting slightly over my armpit. He says 'Mum' once. I say 'yes?' and he starts snoring. Oh my lord, could it be? He's finally passed out?!. I don't want to move just in case he's not quite in deep sleep. I couldn't imagine going through that process again! I have no clue what time it is....
I lay there for a fe more minutes, listening to him breathe. I slink away from him so he's laying flat on the bed and I give his little forehead a few kisses. What a stubborn monkey. What a charade that was! I'm exhausted.
I finally decide that he's asleep and I prepare his crib for his arrival, lift his sleepy body from the bed and tuck him in. He stirs for a second, I tell him it's just Mommy moving him to bed and he drifts back asleep. It's 11:09pm
And for now, the only sound I hear is snoring.
Goodnight Mason.