Oh, what a difference a day can make.  Parenthood, it is a roller coaster.

Last night, desperate for sleep, I took the little angel to the hardware store to buy earplugs.  She helped to pick them out, not knowing they were to block out the sounds of her prolonged crying if she so chose to do it again.

When I put her to bed this time, I explained Gray Kitty's mythical powers.  I emphasized Gray Kitty's time in Stuffed Animal Academy, where she had been put through classes such as Monster Fighting, Darkness Banishing and, most importantly, Angel Protection at the graduate level.  I told her that I had purposefully had Gray Kitty train with me for over a year before she began her tour of duty as the little angel's first line of defense against darkness and scary dreams.  I don't know if this is what was causing all the waking up.  I also let her brandish her spoon at a full carton of yogurt at the end of dinner and gave her a half-dose of Tylenol (that was all she would take) in case her teeth were hurting her.  I tucked her in and asked her if she also wanted Yellow Unicorn, but she said no, just Gray Kitty.  She curled up and went to sleep.

I took a bath with the Fussy Baby lavender and chamomile bath soap and went to bed myself.  Somehow in there, I forgot to turn on the baby monitor. That was probably a good thing. 

My beloved said she made some noise once at about 2.  I didn't hear her, and he, being a man, didn't go in.  (This is not man-bashing, just the truth.)

She slept until 6 a.m.  By then, I was thinking as she drank her bottle of how I would get her dressed early, maybe do some Pilates, throw in a load of laundry...but then she handed me her bottle and flipped over on her tummy, cuddling up right below my chin.  She began breathing deeply.  Well, I thought.  I'll maybe let her sleep for ten minutes.  Then my eyes grew heavy.  Her breathing was blowing right across my shoulder.  She dug her little nubbin feet into my stomach, curling her toes like Sybil the cat. 

I woke up at 7 a.m.  So much for being productive early in the morning.

That little angel - I should lend her out to the insomniacs I mentioned yesterday.  She's like a drug or something.