How do they know?

How do babies know when the worst possible time to do something is?

As you may have noticed from this blog & various comments, my babies are not great sleepers. Both Mstr A & LMB were a year old before sleeping through the night, LMD looks all set to follow suit. However, one thing I have always managed is teaching them that night is night, & when it's dark, we don't do anything other than sleep, feed & sleep again. We go to great lengths to ensure we can make their rooms dark, so they know when it is night-time sleeping pattern, even if still bright sunshine outside.

So why did LMD suddenly decide last night that she was not going back in her cot after her 4am feed? Not no way, not no how! She screamed the place down from 3am through till 7 when we had to get up. The only way she would quieten down was if we cuddled her, but that's not how it works! Babies sleep in their own rooms, in their own cots. It's something I really need.

Now obviously, while LMD is screaming, I don't get any sleep. As her room is just accross from LMB's, LMB woke up a number of times too! As I was working all day today, & Mr A wasn't, I insist he wakes up to help at least a few times. So no-body got any sleep (except Mstr A, who didn't notice anything all night!). So how did LMD know, that I was working, Mr A was ill & last night was a really bad time to suddenly change her habits?

Still, on the plus side, she was apparently very good for Mr A during the day, sleeping through the morning (it's alright for her), and playing nicely with LMB in the afternoon, and hardly screamoing for me & my milk at all. Now that really is a first!