My recipe for sleep

Let's get this straight: I hate to go to bed! I scream every night when I'm laid down in the crib (or what I like to refer to as "The Cage"). Anyway, I used to have a pretty good success rate of being pulled from the crib after crying for a few minutes... mommy or daddy would come and get me because they couldn't stand the noise ("...HAHA - victory is mine!"). But for the last few months they stopped coming to get me right away (if at all). Now, eventually, I just give up and fall asleep. But here's a recipe for sleep that I hope might help for the rest of you babies out there who hate "The Cage":


- 1 Crib (AKA, "The Cage")
- 1 Tired Baby
- 1 Daddy who likes to sing (preferrably "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera - words provided below)

Put the tired baby in the crib for 20 minutes. Now scream like there's no tomorrow and pray that daddy has had enough of it. This is a good time to throw a few DADDA's in there - get creative with it and really work his heart strings. If you're lucky, the door to your room will open and daddy will pull you out, set you on his chest and sing you to sleep. It's OK to cry again when you go back in "The Cage", but you should be good and tired to fall right to sleep now!

An alternative to this method is to watch a Baby Praise video when you are good and tired! Most of the time mommy and daddy can watch me fall right to sleep in my exersaucer or whatever they call that thing. Here's a picture of me after the last time I fell asleep watching Baby Praise. Don't worry, my head and neck were just fine.

Here are the words to "Music of the Night" by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I'm usually gone after the second verse! It sounds like a lullaby to me and I love the way my daddy sings it.

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Music of the Night
Andrew Llyod Webber
Phantom of the Opera

Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation . . .
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination . . .
Silently the senses abandon their defences . . .

Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour . . .
Grasp it, sense it -tremulous and tender . . .
Turn your face away from the garish light of day,
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night . . .

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams!
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!
And you'll live as you've never lived before . . .

Softly, deftly, music shall surround you . . .
Feel it, hear it, closing in around you . . .
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness ofthe music of the night . . .

Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world!
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!
Let your soul Take you where you long to be!
Only then can you belong to me . . .

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!
Touch me, trust me savour each sensation!
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give
Into the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night . . .

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