Creature of Habit

They say it's really important to have a bedtime routine when you're
parenting a toddler. No kidding. Jada has learned that bedtime means
bedtime stories, followed by a few ounces of milk, and then into the
crib she goes. And by and large, she's pretty easy at bedtime.

Tonight, as we began our stories, she looked up at the ledge of her
crib to see that her milk bottle was there. And it was, all ready to
go. And so I read her a few books, turned off the lights, gave her
the bottle, put her in the crib once she was done, and said goodnight.

But almost immediately, I heard her say, "No no no no no no." In the
time it took me to walk from her room to the kitchen, she must have
said no about twenty times. I began to mull over what it might be as
I prepared to wash her bottle, fill it up, and put it in her lunch box
for tomorrow. And then I realized I had left the bottle on the ledge
of her crib.

I smiled as I walked back into her room. Sure enough, she was
standing up in her crib, holding out the bottle to me. I took it from
her, sheepishly, and closed the door behind her. And she was quiet
immediately.