Kicking Myself
posted Saturday July 4th, 2009
Last night, the sleep lineup went like this:
Me, Annabelle, Sophie. I sent Ray to a different bedroom. No room.
About 15 minutes in, there was an enormous clunk. Sophie was fine, but on the floor. So then the sleep lineup changed to:
Annabelle, Sophie, Me. As usual, Sophie kicked me ALL NIGHT. She flailed all over the bed, turning like a spoked wheel, pushing me to the edge and still finding me with her feet and hands. About every five minutes (it seemed) I’d roll her as far from me as possible, tell her, “Don’t kick me, sweetie,” and receive a foot in the chest in exchange.
Finally, at about 5 a.m., I changed the tactic, and grabbed Sophie tightly in my arms, rolling around til we were both comfortable. Within minutes, we were both fast asleep. I woke up thinking about Temple Grandin. And kicking myself for not trying that sooner.
I know that mine gets that restless when she sleeps mostly when she is really tired, which Friday night we were all up ’til 10:30 watching fireworks! It all sounds so familiar… good thinking on the holding! Kayli also sleeps more soundly and less physically since she had her adenoids out!
Talk about coincidences! This past weekend we were in Flag with my three sons and my sister-in-law’s four daughters. While it rained on Friday afternoon, we were all playing in the basement and my niece (with special needs) was in rare form– totally hyper and hilarious. At one point– all in fun– I told the kids and my sister-in-law that we needed to roll Kendra up in a comforter like a big burrito because that would mellow her out… Then I told my sister-in-law about the discovery of how calming that can be– by the reknown autistic veterinarian: Tempest Bledsoe.
So we rolled Kendra up like a burrito and spent the afternoon calling Kendra “Tempest.” Then I saw your post about Temple Grandin…. and then it hit me that Tempest Bledsoe wasn’t a reknown autistic veterinarian at all… She was a Cosby kid.