Dear Delaney @ 23 Months Old

Dearest Sweet Delaney,

You are almost two but before we get to all the excitement of actually turning two, we wanted to pause and talk about you and your personality now. The most recognizable trait being your intense dislike of going to bed... at night or even taking a nap during the day at home. You do love sleep and are a great sleeper (once you allow yourself to close your eyes) however you dislike more than anything, to be laid down ALONE in your bed. 

This has been a consistent trait since you were six months old. Seventeen months later, we know you will one day grow out of it, so for now your father and I have mentally prepared ourselves each night for the somewhat traumatizing process of getting your to go to bed. To deal with the emotionally charged process you make it every night, we usually trade off the job of cuddling and ultimaltey laying you down, patting your back and finally silently stepping away and trying to sneak out of your room. We never really achieve our goal of you peacefully drifting off to sleep instead you magically sense us gone and break out into a cry - sometimes, on a great night, less than five minutes and other nights much, MUCH longer.

Your emotions usually overtake you around 7PM as you get out of a fun bath and we take you into your bedroom and lay you on your changing table to put a diaper on you. At this point, the tears start welting up in your eyes even though we are 60-90 minutes away from even putting you into bed. See, the old days of putting our young babies to sleep at 6:30 or 7 (like we did with both Carter and Addison) are gone since we have learned that you cry much less if you are much more tired. It's far from an ideal situation but we have made it work.

I desperately believe that you cry because you have anxiety of being alone and away from us because you fall asleep in a nano second when you are next to your daddy or me. I joke that you are going to be that clingy adult that can never be alone or never not have a boyfriend. Only time will tell, we know. Either way, we know God made you perfectly.

In the meantime, we are trying to enjoy every moment of your cuddles and your desire to be so close to us at all times. We just adore you and your blue eyes, blond curls, OBSESSION with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and talking non-stop. We wouldn't change you one bit except your sadness of going to bed.....

Love,

Mommy