A new sleep(less) twist

Last night, as I was getting daughter H ready for bed, my blood sugar went low. Fortunately, hubby happily stepped in, picking up where I'd left of in the bedtime story, with just a little protest from H during the hand-off. But, when I came back to kiss her good night at close to 9:00 (definitely the witching hour for a 2 1/2-year-old!), she started demanding I read another book. Instead, I set her in my lap in the chair, put the usual bedtime music on, and said, "Let's snuggle instead." Famous last words. Half an hour later, hubby was back to make sure we were okay; I eventually got her into bed without a fuss.

Tonight, same routine (minus the low blood sugar), but when I went to put her in the bed, H started crying out for me, "Mommy, don't leave me!" I used the "I'll be back in minutes to check on you" trick, which worked like a charm (fast asleep at only 9:30!).

Now, we were never into cosleeping even when she was an infant; her cradle was in our room for all of 10 minutes, before we determined she was such a noisy sleeper none of us would ever sleep under that arrangement. Sure, in the first year I held her for long stretches in the chair in her room after I nursed her (a nice, comfy chair with a foot stool, but not the same as a bed!). But she never liked to lie in bed with me, always wanting to be with me in the chair. And for more than a year, she's happily gone to bed after one or two stories. So this sudden clinginess has taken me completely by surprise. I guess she's regressing a bit now. I understand that happens, especially when a toddler is trying to master something else, and she is in the midst of potty training these days. Oh, that's another fun adventure!

But of course, I feel funny that, perhaps, my running off suddenly with a low triggered a feeling of abandonment in H. I have to leave her, for short or long stretches, so often, it's not really fair to blame it on that one event. But little events like that can have such a huge impact in a little kid's life. Whenever I have to test, or change out my infusion set suddenly, or eat, I worry that it will have a lasting impact. Well, at least I come back every time, right?

I sure hope this two-night trend doesn't continue, though. I love sitting holding H for that time, but I have so much to do in the evening after she's in bed - cleaning up from dinner (yes, hubby helps some!) and getting thing ready for her and my next day - that I can't completely enjoy it. I'm the one who prepares her food for the next day; I know more about nutrition than my husband does. Being a medical editor and writer helps, but I've learned far more from being a diabetic for nearly a quarter century. Also, it's important to me that I have at least a little control over what H eats at daycare, though she gets other snacks as well. I'd like to be more creative with her food, but by the time I get to putting it together, I'm a zombie, especially these couple of days!