Just be braver than the baby

I'm afraid of the dark.

I believe in ghosts.

I have a hyperactive imagination.

Let that information soak in for a second.  

Yes, I'm sure nighttimes as a child were fun for my parents.

Fortunately Peanut is still at the age that monsters are funny and not lurking under the bed.

However, the other day he ran to tell us that there was a monster outside the front door of my parents house.  It was really a wreath that was moving in the wind, casting shadows through the glass.

It reminded me that fears are something we are getting much closer to and I better figure out how handle these types of situations.

Last night Peanut woke up screaming for me to come help him.

This happens nightly but I have a hard time letting him cry for me when he is specifically saying Mommy, help me!  (more on this fascinating choice of words later)

When I went in he was still half asleep and crying.

Me:  What's wrong baby, how can I help you?

Him:  Help, mommy, help me!  Help me please! ~pulls at his hands in frustration~

Me:  Help you with what, what is it?  ~yawn~

Him:  There!  Right there!  See!  ~points into the darkness over my left shoulder~

Help mommy, help! 

Me:  ~momentarily paralyzed with fear~

Me:  ~looks around while mentally chanting, just keep your cool mommy, don't freak the kid out, there is nothing there, no need to plant the fear of the dark in his head.  Man, it's really dark in here...~

Me:  Uh-huh, do you want me to tuck you in?

Him: No, no, no, no, this!  ~he points and then rolls to his side~  Sit, mommy.

Me:  OK baby, I love you.  

I sit in silence, my eyes searching, groping through the darkness.

What was that?  Did something move?

Will I wake him if I turn up the night light?

Be cool mommy, just be cool, there is nothing there.

~glances over shoulder~  

WTF did he mean by "Right there!  See!"?!
~shifts uncomfortably and looks around!

I sat there for a while, then ran down the hallway and jumped into bed, where I woke B.

He looked at me and went right back to sleep.

He's used to this kind of activity when I (rarely) have to be the one to turn off the lights.

The point is that I'm crazy, yes, but also that I don't get to be crazy in front of Peanut.

I'm going to have to master my poker face and figure out how to reassure him while my inner dialogue is screaming, take the child and run!  Save your family! because really, that's just not cool.

But seriously, next time your are with someone late at night, I want you to look over their shoulder and gasp! with a terrified look on your face, or better yet, just gasp and run, perhaps dragging them with you.  Make a mental note of that look on their face and you'll understand what I'm trying to avoid.

~Pictures were taken with my phone during nap time.  I was washing the sheets, don't judge me.  And seriously, don't kids look so angelic when they sleep?  Even when they are sweaty and after a long meltdown, they look so darn sweet.  Of course, then they wake up.