Niece-sitting

For the first time, B stayed overnight at our place. It was an attempt to see how we can cope with a sleepless night with a todd and also some fun for her to stay over. From here, we could possibly help care for her should her parents need a break. Before this, B has stayed over with her sister C at their grandparents' but not with anyone else. Prior to this B did not want to sleep over at our place. She only wanted to come and play at our place, saying "I need to come to your place to play with the puzzles". I think it was only one time when I asked her if she wants to come and stay, otherwise her 14mo sister will gladly want to come. 

It was quite a tiring night... B slept around 9pm in my arms while we were watching tv. I put her down on the mattress on the floor beside our bed soon after. When I got into bed around 12.30am, she started to cry, as if she had a nightmare. I patted her but could not get her to stop. I picked her up and only then did she stop and continued to sleep soundly on my shoulder. I waited until she fell back to sleep soundly before attempting to put her down. However, her disturbed sleep kept coming back throughout the night. At some points, she cries out "ma ma" or "mummy". There were 2 times when she cried waking up and opened her eyes and realised that she is not at home but staying with us. With that, she will go back to sleep for a longer period of time before crying out for her mum in her sleep again. I do not know how many times we had to wake up because she cried. But I could not fall into deep sleep (I am usually a very deep sleeper) the entire night. Finally at one time, we brought her to bed with us. B slept in between us but her head and half of her body was next to hubby and her legs were next to my face. In an attempt to keep her feeling secure, we knew she had to have her body being close with one of us and hubby place his hand on her, as if hugging her, but really it was to show her security and give her assurance. In our bed, she stirred a few times too... and we knew the morning was here when she woke up (around 6.30pm). Hubby was nice enough to let me continue to sleep while he kept B entertained, fed her breakfast and brought her to the toilet. I slept for another 2+ hours, undisturbed. 

When I woke up, I notice the active and happy B playing in the lounge. It was as if we were the only ones who did not sleep through the night but B slept through soundly. She was happy as, playing and talking heaps (most people thought she could not speak as she does not open up much to people). After a while, it was hubby's turn to take a snooze before our family comes over for lunch. 

For the record, this is what B puts her parents through every night. She will start to cry around midnight and her parents will bring her to their bed to sleep with them (so that she will cry less). And they will have to be careful of her arms and legs as she spreads them everywhere when she sleeps :)

This was what B did on our stairs in the morning, using our couch pillows and some toys in our special toy box (second hand toys that we bought so that our nieces have toys to play with when they come) to form her imaginary "bus" where she is one of the passengers. I'd say her imagination is quite good! Or perhaps it is also this 'good imagination' that causes her disturbed sleep in the night? Hmm...