Singing the Birdie to Sleep
Birdie's bedtime routine continues to evolve. In order, it looks something like this:
- Watch a video or two. This probably merits an entirely separate post, but basically it's videos with swimming in them (musical numbers from The Little Mermaid are a hit) or film versions of Eric Carle books.
- Get dressed for bed.
- Brush teeth. She had already enjoyed brushing her teeth, but after her first visit to the dentist earlier this year she really got into it. Now she's standing in the bathroom and scrubbing away with enthusiasm, if not skill.
- Call M's mother and sister for a goodnight Facetime where Birdie often reads to them.
- Read to Birdie with the lights down low.
- Sing to Birdie with the lights off.
Ever since our return from Hilton Head, M and Birdie's regular trips to the library has meant that we've routinely mixed up the books we read at bedtime, a distinct contrast from last summer. Favored books get read every night before they return to the library, less favored books may drift in and out.
She now sleeps with three stuffed animals. In addition to Bun-Bun and Piggie, Piggie's friend Gerald now hangs out in the crib with her. If we continue to add one stuffed animal per six months, we should make it to her first big kid bed before she is swarmed under by stuffies.
In addition to the three stuffies she sleeps with, we also usually have to conduct bedtime for some other stuffed animals, toys or other objects before she'll go to bed. This typically means letting her hug and kiss whatever object is favored that night and then M or I "tucking it in" on top of the changing table. Usually this is a currently favored toy, but sometimes it's something more random like a tennis ball that was left on her floor, or a paper party hat.
Most nights, I read to her and M sings to her, but we do sometimes switch off. We each have our own specialties when it comes to singing. There are some songs we both sing:
- Moon
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
- Over the Rainbow (aka, the rainbow song).
- What a Wonderful World
And then there are the songs that only M sings to her. There may be many of these, but the one I know about for sure is Edelweiss from The Sound of Music. I personally loathe The Sound of Music (one of my stock jokes is "the only time it's permissible to root for the Nazis is when watching The Sound of Music") but M, like most people, loves it.
I counter this with a few songs of my own.
- I sing the first two verses and occasionally more of The Rainbow Connection (aka, the other rainbow song). Well, sing is a strong word.
- I also sometimes go with You Are My Sunshine.
- My biggest success thus far has been when I introduced Yellow Submarine a few weeks ago. I figured anything Ringo sings can't be brutalized too much by me (I leave out the bridge), and Birdie has responded by referring to it as "Daddy's song" and for the last several days has been singing it throughout the house. I may have created a monster, but it's better than Laurie Berkner.
And that's bedtime right now.
- Watch a video or two. This probably merits an entirely separate post, but basically it's videos with swimming in them (musical numbers from The Little Mermaid are a hit) or film versions of Eric Carle books.
- Get dressed for bed.
- Brush teeth. She had already enjoyed brushing her teeth, but after her first visit to the dentist earlier this year she really got into it. Now she's standing in the bathroom and scrubbing away with enthusiasm, if not skill.
- Call M's mother and sister for a goodnight Facetime where Birdie often reads to them.
- Read to Birdie with the lights down low.
- Sing to Birdie with the lights off.
Ever since our return from Hilton Head, M and Birdie's regular trips to the library has meant that we've routinely mixed up the books we read at bedtime, a distinct contrast from last summer. Favored books get read every night before they return to the library, less favored books may drift in and out.
She now sleeps with three stuffed animals. In addition to Bun-Bun and Piggie, Piggie's friend Gerald now hangs out in the crib with her. If we continue to add one stuffed animal per six months, we should make it to her first big kid bed before she is swarmed under by stuffies.
In addition to the three stuffies she sleeps with, we also usually have to conduct bedtime for some other stuffed animals, toys or other objects before she'll go to bed. This typically means letting her hug and kiss whatever object is favored that night and then M or I "tucking it in" on top of the changing table. Usually this is a currently favored toy, but sometimes it's something more random like a tennis ball that was left on her floor, or a paper party hat.
Most nights, I read to her and M sings to her, but we do sometimes switch off. We each have our own specialties when it comes to singing. There are some songs we both sing:
- Moon
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
- Over the Rainbow (aka, the rainbow song).
- What a Wonderful World
And then there are the songs that only M sings to her. There may be many of these, but the one I know about for sure is Edelweiss from The Sound of Music. I personally loathe The Sound of Music (one of my stock jokes is "the only time it's permissible to root for the Nazis is when watching The Sound of Music") but M, like most people, loves it.
I counter this with a few songs of my own.
- I sing the first two verses and occasionally more of The Rainbow Connection (aka, the other rainbow song). Well, sing is a strong word.
- I also sometimes go with You Are My Sunshine.
- My biggest success thus far has been when I introduced Yellow Submarine a few weeks ago. I figured anything Ringo sings can't be brutalized too much by me (I leave out the bridge), and Birdie has responded by referring to it as "Daddy's song" and for the last several days has been singing it throughout the house. I may have created a monster, but it's better than Laurie Berkner.
And that's bedtime right now.