Bedtime

I do bedtime by myself pretty frequently because Damon is working/at school/socializing. Pre-Bauer, Emberly's bedtime delay tactics were mildly annoying. Telling her that she didn't have to go to bed, but could read or play quietly in her room until she was ready cut down significantly on the resistance and she just about always was asleep within 10min of going in there.
Well, now, Bauer has trouble soothing himself back to sleep after that sleep transition the first 30-45min after being laid down. Sometimes he cries out a couple times only to whimper, suck on his fist and go back to sleep. Other times he escalates into all out screaming withing a few minutes and I need to go in there and pick him up, pace while patting his back, shhhing in his ear and usually a bit of nursing until he's calmed down and is drowsy enough to go back down.
Inevitably, this will be the time that Emberly chooses to call from her room about how her tummy hurts, her blanket is messed up, I forgot to turn her music on, or her sippy is empty. And she never settles for "just a minute," she incessantly chants my name. And no matter how quietly and calmly I try to respond, Bauer senses my deep irritation and begins to cry, starting the whole pat-and-pace process anew.
Is it child abuse to stuff a sock in her mouth and tape it there? Just for nights. I'll totally take it out in the morning.