Night Waking

Last night ds3 woke up in the middle of the night again(around midnight). Typically he will sit up in bed and just cry. I'm not sure if it's a bad dream or what... but I always scoop him up and bring him to the rocking chair and rock and soothe him. He is pretty calm once I pick him up, I'll ask if he is okay and he'll nod his head and snuggle into me.

I know for a fact that in the orphanage if he cried they did not pick him up. As a matter of fact they advised us to do the same once he was home with us. There reasoning was that he will expect that every time and he can just re-settle himself. They recommended just giving him a bottle. Interesting advice and probably quite necessary in an orphanage with 15 other babies. But obviously not for us... nope.

I told Chris last night that I am so thankful that ds3 is waking up at night and crying. Why? Because I have the opportunity to change a learned behavior in him. He's learned that when he cries no one comes, but now he is learning that when he cried mama comes and picks him up and snuggles him. She kisses his little head repeatedly and says "It's okay, mama's here, mama loves you." Then after awhile when he answers that he is ready to go back to sleep, I lay him down and whisper one more time... "Night night, I love you."

His perspective is changing ever so slowly day by day.... as he opens himself up to us. I don't get to see it while in the midst of it, but sometimes like now, I get to see glimpses of growth and change... and I just love that!