Precious Sleep Again!!

After being home at Christmas, our little lady, was ALL messed up when it came to her sleeping. She has been an incredible sleeper since day 1 and we knew our time would come! Well, it did in January of this year after being in the states for a few weeks...sometimes sharing a bedroom, sometimes sharing a bed, giving her milk at all hours to (keep her quiet) so she didn't wake up our families, and of course jet-lag 10 hours both ways...etc...!!! When we came back to Dubai she was waking in the night a few times and wanting us to put her back to bed, she was demanding milk, crying and calling for us, and getting up at about 5:00am! We tried it all but what really worked...she saw this STINKIN cute stuffed elephant at the Hallmark store in our complex and asked for it time and time again. We told her...it was all hers if she slept through the night!! We'd remind her of the elephant every night as we tucked her in. We also started a morning "routine" with her and she's LOVED the independence. She wakes up...comes and tells daddy she is up...he checks the time...says yes or no...if it's 6:00 am...it's a yes...if it's earlier than that...it's a no...then she takes her diaper off puts it in the garbage, puts on her undies & the outfit that's lying on the couch...usually her favorite new monkey shirt and "soft shorts" (as she calls them)...then she opens the refrig. and placed right in the door she grabs her sippy of milk we've prepared the night before...she grabs the remote and pushes the green button...Jim Jam is on automatically (thanks to daddy remembering the night before)...grabs the zip-lock ag of cereal I've made her...gets comfy cozy on the couch and DONE...she is content for at least 30-60 minutes!! It's truly beautiful and allows us a few more zzzzz's !! So, moral to this LONG winded story...she FINALLY got the elephant last night. I must tell you...we pass the Hallmark almost daily on our way to Spinney's Market and she'd stop...run in the store...kiss and hug the elephant...and run back out! The store keeper knew us and expected to see us daily. I told him...sooner or later we'd be in to buy it. He probably thought...geez...why won't this MOM buy her the damn stuffed elephant already!! She is a happy little girl and loves "Bubblegum" her new elephant!! And let me tell you...if this goes backwards...Bubblegum is all MINE!! She's a smart little girl and she KNOWS!!