The Sleep of the Innocent

My friend George always says when he sees Zoe sleep that he wishes he could sleep like that without the aid of drugs. (The prescription kind lest you get a poor image of my friend George).

Zoe is one of those kids who doesn't want to sleep because she's afraid she might miss something. She's been known to wake herself up from a nap when she hears laughter (especially if it's Mom, Bridget and I all laughing. I think she gets confused because we all sound alike). She is such a little a diva already.

When Happy Baby Monkey gets tired it goes a little something like this:

Stage 1 - "The Long Blink Goodnight". In this stage Zoe opens her eyes as widely as possible in order to communicate that is still awake. It takes FOREVER for her to blink, but when she finally does it's a long blink. The next one is a little longer, then a little longer. I swear to God she's a like a weight lifter who's maxed out the weights at the end of his reps. I want to offer to spot her or something.

Stage 2 - "Sleep is for Doody Heads" When the weight of her eyes finally gets the better of her she begins to thrash her head back and forth as if vigorously denying the exhaustion will somehow make it go away. It's actually kind of freaky if you watch her, because she drools a lot right now and it would be easy for us new parents to think she's having a seizure or something (David, don't tell anyone that I actually thought she was having one in the car that day).

Stage 3 - "Elvis the Pelvis" Pretty recently Zoe has begun doing what can only be describes as a pelvic thrust while sitting in her bouncy chair. It's pretty funny, but it is effing HYSTERICAL when she adds to the drooping lids, thrashing head scenario. It's like watching an Elvis concert back in the 50's. I've often teased David who affectionately refers to his job as her Daddy as being primarily to "keep her off the pole" that he's not doing a very good job.

Stage 4 "What Sleep May Come". When she finally surrenders to sleep, it's not without a fight or her own particular flair. There is this big sigh, one final head roll and then she's OUT. But her little fists stay curled up so tight in defiance and her monkey feet clasped together, occasionally twitching like a cats tail. It's like she wants the universe to know that she's asleep but she's pretty pissed about it. We know at that stage not to move her. She's not sleeping really deeply. When the fists finally relax and those feet finally separate that means she has finally acknowledged her fate and, as with all other of her pleasures, has surrendered to it completely.