Milk Bottle Exchange

These last few weeks, when Ivan wakes up in the morning for his first morning bottle of milk between 5-5:30 a.m., he doesn't just lay in his crib crying and waiting for me to bring him milk.

No, he's gotten more proactive about it.

He actually stands up in the crib with the door open (he can reach the door) and waits for me with his empty bottle of milk--which I know, we shouldn't let him sleep with the bottle, all that pacifier-like sucking on milk is sure to give him awful cavities down the line.

He hands me the empty bottle, as if to say "waitress, more milk, now!"

I go downstairs, fetch fresh milk (if I'm up to it, I warm it up; otherwise, it's served refrigerator cold), bring it back upstairs.

He waits for me near the door, standing up in the crib.

I hand him the milk, he takes it so greedily, leans backwards and I help to lay him down on his back.

My little milk addict.

The problem is this first morning milk routine used to by us about one more hour of sleep because Ivan used to fall back asleep. But not any more. As soon as he guzzles down the milk in some 15-20 minutes, he's up again, standing in the crib, opening the door, waiting to be let out to start his day of play (of running leaps from one room to the other at 5:30 a.m.)