Tales from the Crib (or The Great Pacifier Hunt)

There are certain habits that Max had while sleeping in his crib that Lucian has somehow picked up on (osmosis? ESP?) and brought back to life. For starters, Max always felt that the very best time to fill his diaper was during the first twenty minutes of nap time. I had forgotten about this trend until Louie picked it up again recently; he will be quiet just long enough for me to think he's asleep and begin some project or chore, then BAM! The wailing begins and I open the bedroom door only to be greeted by a cloud of stink. Not such a fan of this. But if I had to choose, I'd pick this over his other new-found habit.

I think it's probably very normal for kids who have pacifiers to want to chuck them out of their cribs in order to avoid falling asleep. Again, Max did this from the time he could stand in his crib until the time he transitioned to his big boy bed. However, most children (at least in my previous experience... i.e. Max) would throw the pacifier on the floor nearest the door, because that's where they stand screaming until someone takes notice. Oho! Not so, I have found, with our new little sneak!

I'll set the scene for you: I lay Lucian down with his paci, blankie, and a few stuffed animals. His eyes glaze over as I rub his cheek, and he makes little humming noises. Oh good, he'll be out like a light in seconds! Ahh, but only a short while after I leave the room, the cries begin. After waiting a few minutes (anywhere from 3 to 30...) to see if he'll put himself back to sleep (yeah...right), I go up to his room to give him back his paci and lay him back down. But wait! Said pacifier is nowhere to be found! I look behind the door, on the floor, in the crib, under the crib... finally, there it is against the wall. I actually have to move the crib to reach it.

So I settle him back in with his stuffed animals, blanket and paci (all of which I retrieved from the floor) and leave the room again. Another few minutes pass by and again the wails begin. This time I wait a little longer, but the screaming just gets more intense. I go in to give him back his paci and check behind the crib- it's not there. It's not on the floor anywhere around the crib. This time, he has managed to toss it underneath the dresser against the adjacent wall!

Usually he falls asleep after two or three rounds of this game, but I assure you, the pacifier is never in the same place twice during one nap time. I think our record is six; he had a cold and was having lots of trouble falling asleep. I found the paci, I'm not lying, in six different locations on his floor: under the radiator, behind the crib, behind the door, in a pile of stuffed animals, in the dirty clothes bin, and under the rocking chair. It's a small room, so there are lots of interesting hiding places within close range. I swear this kid is toying with me! He just loves to see me crawl around on the floor in search of the elusive pacifier. Just when I think I must have found every possible place he could throw it, it ends up somewhere new! And then, just to throw me off, it's occasionally hidden in the corner of his crib... the last place I would think to look!

I dunno guys, I think I'm being outsmarted by a one-year-old.