"Mommy, there's something in my Crib"

Rory is actually going through a crib fear right now. I think he's starting to dream and I recall a similar situation with Shelagh around this age. She always slept great and then started night waking around the time Rory was sleeping through the night as an infant.

He certainly can't articulate it as when he talks about dreaming he says "I dreamin' about the water park" while he snuggles in with Shelagh and lets her put her arm around him. It's seriously so cute and he usually says it in the car shaped shopping cart at the grocery store when they are jammed in there together waiting for the inevitable free cheese at the deli counter.

Since Thursday he freaks out when we try to put him to bed..."Mommy, there is something in my crib!". The poor thing grabs for me and is petrified. I put him to bed in our bed a couple of nights b/c I didn't want to drag everything out and then moved him, but of course I don't want to start a habit out of that. Instead, it's now a 30-40 minute routine where I have to rock him and snuggle extra (that's the fun part). We then snuggle with him standing up in the crib while he wimpers and borders on tipping into full crying mode or calming down. We talk about the fish on his sheets until he is ready to sit down...which one is his favorite, which one is blowing bubbles, which colors he thinks I should like best, etc. I convince him to lay down so I can tickle his back and sing songs. I proceed to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider at least 4-6 times. As I hit the last line, he is already saying "Again Mommy. Just one more time." I tell him I'll sit in the rocking chair for awhile and keep him company. Meanwhile, he gets really sweaty so his A/C is cranked and it's freezing in there. I'm wrapped up in a blanket shivering staring at the clock. And then I proceed to army crawl out of the room carefully manipulating the door knob just so as to not make even a click and let on that I'm escaping. It's crazy for a kid who usually waves and says "good night, mom" as I drop him in and walk out in the same breath. Let's hope this passes soon...