10 Days of Firsts: Day 9

Today is the last day that my babies are 1 year olds... It's crazy to think that tomorrow they will be 2!

The first for today wasnt nearly as fun as milkshakes or going to the kidzone; it was more of a developmental thing I suppose.  I had an appointment with Dr. B., so my MIL came over after the kids had breakfast to babysit.  Now, this isnt so big of a first- she sees the kids regularly and they go to visit she and my FIL on Wednesdays- but this would be the first time they would be doing a nap time without me (or Peter). 

I confess... I still sing to the kids and snuggle them whenever I can sneak it in!  With Maya, she wants to be put in her bed, with her 'night-night' entourage, and (if I'm lucky) will let me sing a verse of "Oh Maya Girl" or "May the Road Rise..." to her.  The get out; she wants to go to bed and you need to be elsewhere.  Bobby will let me sing a few verses and get in some good snuggles and sometimes even calls me back to him after he's been in bed for a while and decides he need more Mama Tunes.  I dont mind.  But, I also realize that him moving towards Maya's speed of 'get-the-hell-out-so-I-can-go-to-bed' is important.  And being able to go to bed without Mamalove is also important, not because I dont want to give it, but because at some point (like the half marathon in 2 weeks) I wont be here for 2 naptimes and 1 bedtime. 

Their big kid beds have made a world of difference in our lives (I'll be doing a review of these soon because we LOVE them so much), and they've made a 12 hour stretch of toddler-sleeping at night a reality where we were getting maybe 8-9 hours (which is fine if you want to go to bed by 8pm every night...).  So, this is good.  Naps are good too.  We still get a nice 2-3 hour nap every day (2-2.5 hours is the norm), but again, there's the Mamalove and singing. 

Today, Peter's mom put them in their beds around 11:45.  They chatted back and forth (while she hung out in the living room).  Maya was out by 11:50; she went in to see Bobby because he started to get noisy, but it was only a minor intervention and she left.  He was out fifteen minutes later.   He slept 2 hours, Maya slept 3.  All in all, it was successful!  I'll admit, I'm a little sad that I was easily forgotten (of course, coming home to the love was well worth it!) but I'm also proud that they were able to go to bed on their own without Peter or I here. 

Naps and bedtime are pretty easy routines around here.  They know the deal and they go to bed these days with relative ease.  It's just another way they are growing up (and, to be honest, I think I'm less ready for this than they are!).