Sienna's first late night

1 am.
We shouldn't have stayed up until 11 pm watching prowrestling. Our stay-up-late endeavors do not play out well. That is life. I've been fighting a cold for weeks, got myself healthy, and now...parenting is full of fools I suppose.

All I could wonder was it my turn or Danielle's turn to go tend to the crying child. Sienna is not a child who has plaintive moments in the middle of the night, so the wife and I try to check it out to see the issue.

The inherent danger to this is that as Sienna approaches two her voice is getting far more powerful and she has seeminly figured out that if I call out to my parents in the night eventually we show up. This is completely different than she she cries out from discomfort while she sleeps - an occurence usually reserved for her having a cold or...actually she has only ever done it while she has a cold.
Since I have been sick Danielle grunts something that I believe is an affirmative that she will check out our new born. Several minutes later Danielle returns carrying Sienna, Sienna's monkey blanket and Sienna's night time toy Spot.

Some parents have a child where you can plop the kid down between them in bed and the kid immediately zonks out. The only time Sienna zonks out in bed is when she is sick. Since she is not sick we find outselves with a kicking, rolling, squirming child.

1:30 am
"Sienna go back in the crib?" I might have asked it. Or Danielle might have. Either way the affirmative "yes" from our offspring results in Daddy (me) transporting her back to the crib. Thankfully this usually means the rest of the night belongs to us.

4 am
"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" The rule of thumb is that if the child calls out to you by name you must go fetch the child. I am sure that several parenting books specfically discourage this behavior. I question whether the people writing these books ever have a child as it is difficult to ignore a clear cut voice piercing through the walls imploring you.

I think Danielle giggles as I leave. Actually I am not even positive she had woken up until I drag myself out of bed.

Sienna greets me with a huge grin as she stands in her crib expectantly. This time I am carrying Sienna, the blanket, and Spot. "Bed?" I inquire. "No!" replies my way-too-awake child. She points her arm toward the living room. A child has about 15 different no's. Over time you learn when the child is serious or not. Sienna is definitely serious, and if I carry her into our bedroom there will be screeching.

No one wants screeching at this point.

This is patently my fault at this point. As I have been sick most of the weekend I have crashed out on the couch with our thick red blanket or extra comforter, so that my daughter knows that Daddy is still alive. Sienna thinks this is the greatest thing ever since she climbs up on the couch with me and either a) colors, b) plays under the blanket, or c) plays with her dolls.

Sienna points to the couch as we approach. "Sienna sleep?" Everything these days is cave man talk. "Yes." I deposit her on the couch. Sienna slpeeing with a person on the couch is a different experience as she leans backward against the person's in some sort of toddler crucifiction where she manages to put all of her weight straight on the bladder. Maybe she thinks it is a water bed.

"Blanket?" I grab the edge of the red blanket. I rue the cold of the living room. Sienna will be fine, she has heavy feetsie pajamas on; I on the other hand might turn into a popsicle. "No!" Sienna bellows as she pushes my hand off the blanket. "Comfter." That is toddler for the heavy white comforter.

I encourage Sienna to stay on the couch as I take the cold walk down the hall - stopping in the bathroom to take care of my suddenly full bladder - and returning with the heavy blanket. The entire way I half expect to hear a thump of her falling off the couch. Sienna fell off of one of our couches months ago - the one and only time.

4:07 am
I make it back before she plunges off. Actually she grins as she greets me. I wrap us in the blanket and wait for her to get comfortable. And wait.

Sienna starts a conversation.

I wait.

Still waiting.

4:20 am
Still. Waiting.

4:21 am
St.ill.wait.ing. Man my daughter can talk when she wants.

4:30 am
"Rice!" Sienna suddenly draws herself up in a perch position, calling out for her favorite food.

"Crib!" I reply.

"Rice!" Sienna argues.

I pick up Sienna, Spot, and her blanket. Depositing her gently in her crib. She falls fast asleep. I return to Danielle - she is half-asleep thanks to Sienna's non-volume controlled babbling.

7:30 am
Danielle wakes up Sienna.

"Daddy?" asks Sienna.

"Sleeping," replies Danielle.

I drag myself out of bed, showering quickly.

7:40 am
Sienna is groggy in the kitchen. She points toward the hallway. "Bed?" she steps in that direction.

"No." Danielle says it with a grin.

You stay up all night kid, you pay the price. Life lesson. It won't be the first time.
I think